INDIA’S ROLE IN EQUIPPING EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES “The Indo-Pacific concept is not tomorrow’s forecast but yesterday’s reality,” explains India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar. “It captures a mix of India’s broadening horizons, widening interests, and globalized activities. The Indo-Pacific is central to India’s exports and imports6.

"For the past 26 years, India’s Department of Space has been the nodal agency operating a 17-nation human resource development program known as the Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (CSSTEAP)9. This United Nations-affiliated program has trained scientific and technical personnel from countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Thailand, even North Korea. The CSSTEAP has trained scientists, helped policymakers, and educated students and disaster management professionals as also those from administrative services and health services. In addition to its important contribution to science, the program has strengthened diplomatic relations generally. India’s success with CSSTEAP can be extended to a wider cohort of Indo- Pacific nations and lead to more bilateral and multilateral EO data sharing."