The Indian government’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is planning to mandate support for domestic navigation system NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) for all devices. This comes at a time when the newly launched Apple iPhone 15 has India’s NavIC is not intended to replace other global navigation systems, but to complement them.
Government plans to integrate NavIc into smartphones
- The central government is considering mandating the integration of NavIC in all smartphones sold in India by the year 2025, especially targeting 5G phones.
- Manufacturers may be provided additional incentives through production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes to promote domestic chip design and production, using chips that support NavIC technology.
Roadmap and future prospects for NavIC adoption
- To boost the adoption of NavIC, ISRO launched second generation navigation satellites in May 2023 that will enhance interoperability and expand usage with other satellite-based navigation systems.
- Second generation satellites will transmit signals in a third frequency, L1, in addition to the L5 and S frequency signals provided by existing satellites.
- The L1 frequency is one of the most commonly used frequencies in the Global Positioning System (GPS) and will expand its use in regional navigation systems in wearable devices and personal trackers that use low-power, single-frequency chips.
- This strategic move is in line with India’s aspirations to establish technology sovereignty and emerge as a leading space-faring nation.
Navigation in Indian Planetarium (NavIC)
- India’s NavIC is an independent navigation satellite system developed by ISRO which was launched in the year 2018.
- It is about 1500 km around India and the Indian mainland. Providing accurate real-time positioning and timing services in an area spanning .
- It is designed with a constellation of 7 satellites and a network of ground stations operating 24×7.
- There are a total of eight satellites although only seven remain active.
- Three satellites are in geostationary orbit and four satellites are in geosynchronous orbit.
Recognition
- It was recognized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2020 as a part of the World-Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS) for operation in the Indian Ocean region.