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Abstract

There is a pressing need for a national space legislation in India, in light of rapid expansion of Indian space industry and increased private participation since the introduction of space reforms in 2020. The inherent dual-use nature of space technology and the growing strategic importance of space infrastructure in geopolitics also demand regulating Indian space activities. At present, India does not have a comprehensive national legislation to govern its space activities which are currently governed by a patchwork of policies and vision statements. Notably, Indian Government released the Indian Space Policy in 2023, and Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) released the norms for authorisation for certain space activities in 2024. This article is written in anticipation of India enacting a national space legislation soon, as proposed by Parliamentary Standing Committee in March 2026. This article draws insights from learnings from implementation of Indian Space Policy 2023 and other existing governing documents as well as the deliberations on the Draft Space Activities Bill, 2017, and various policy proposals to regulate space activities. The article thus evaluates the existing legal architecture of the Indian space sector and proposes a new architecture drawing upon the lessons emerging from India’s space journey, consistent with India’s international obligation, national security concerns, and vision for a thriving space economy.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.55496/ZUJW5877

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