India's Gagan Navigation System Expands Beyond Aviation to Marine and Telecom Sectors
India's satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS), Gagan, has expanded its applications beyond aviation to sectors such as maritime navigation, telecommunications, and disaster management, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Developed jointly by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Gagan is the first SBAS certified for the equatorial region, placing India among a select group of nations with operational SBAS capability, alongside the United States, Europe, and Japan.
Gagan, which stands for GPS-aided GEO augmented navigation, became fully operational in 2015. It was primarily designed to improve the accuracy and reliability of Global Positioning System (GPS) signals for aviation, ensuring safer aircraft operations. In June 2024, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted India's first satellite-based landing system approach on a commercial jet aircraft, an Airbus A320, using Gagan at Udaipur airport.
The system's high-accuracy positioning and navigation capabilities are now being utilized in various fields. In maritime navigation, Gagan enhances positioning accuracy in coastal and offshore waters. For road transport and highways, it supports intelligent transport systems and fleet management. In railways, it improves operational efficiency and safety. In disaster management, it enables accurate location tracking during emergencies. Additionally, Gagan strengthens defence operations, supports reliable synchronization of telecom infrastructure, and improves the accuracy of land surveys and geospatial mapping.
The aviation ministry highlighted that Gagan's ability to provide real-time corrections and integrity information is crucial in the face of GPS spoofing and jamming. The system alerts pilots if a GPS signal is unsuitable for navigation. The ministry also emphasized that Gagan advances India's vision of technological self-reliance (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) and reinforces India's global leadership in satellite navigation.
