Prime Minister Narendra Modi at G20 Summit 2025, unveiling the Open Satellite Data Partnership for global innovation and sustainability (Photo: File)
At the G20 Summit in Johannesburg in November 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi put forward a grand vision to establish a G20 Open Satellite Data Partnership. The initiative will ensure that satellite data from major space agencies is freely available to developing nations in order to bridge global imbalances in technology, disaster preparedness and sustainability.
"Resilience cannot be built in silos," he said, underlining how common access to geospatial information could reinforce responses to climate events, urbanisation challenges and resource scarcity across the globe.
Satellite data could revolutionize decision-making in vulnerable regions. From Assam's monsoon flood forecast to crop health monitoring across Africa, timely geospatial information can save lives and livelihoods. Most developing countries lack access to such resources, while their wealthier counterparts maintain sophisticated Earth observation capabilities.
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India's proposal envisages bridging that chasm with a single, interoperable system across G20 countries. In contrast to previous open-data initiatives like the EU's Copernicus or the US Landsat initiative, Modi's vision places special emphasis on empowering the Global South with actionable, real-time satellite insights.
With more than 300 startups, India's growing space ecosystem has positioned the private sector as a key driver of innovation. India is commercializing its space capabilities, even as it ensures scalability, by encouraging public-private partnerships and providing enabling policies.
The plan to launch 119 Earth Observation satellites, SATNAV and SATCOM satellites by 2040 rests on private enterprise. Startups and established firms are now converting raw satellite imagery into analytics for agriculture, urban planning, disaster management and environmental monitoring.
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Opening up satellite data is not just a question of access but one of creating economic and technological opportunities. Well-framed PPP policies, IP protection and incentives such as GST exemptions are required to enable startups to scale globally.
Markets dealing in value-added services must be competitive and governments should regard space infrastructure as a strategic asset. India is poised to lead the globe toward data-driven development with policy support matched by innovation-driven models.
The success of the G20 Open Satellite Data Partnership will be ensured through interoperability standards, global cloud infrastructure, integration with machine learning, and strong capacity-building programs for developing countries.
The collaborative ecosystem of public institutions, private firms and universities promises to transform crisis response and enable sustainable development by establishing a fair, resilient and innovation-driven global data network. It is expected that India’s leadership in this area will raise the benchmark for future international collaboration in space technology.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute official policy or investment advice regarding the G20 Open Satellite Data Partnership.
