Russia and India are advancing their longstanding space partnership through plans for the mutual deployment of ground stations for their respective navigation satellite systems, GLONASS and NavIC. 

This initiative, highlighted by Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov in a statement to the state-run TASS news agency, aims to enhance positional accuracy by enabling parity placement of measurement collection facilities.

Work on this project builds upon earlier agreements dating back to 2016, when Roscosmos and ISRO signed an MoU for joint ground station placements. Russia plans to establish a GLONASS station in Bangalore, while India will deploy a NavIC station in Novosibirsk, improving signal precision for both civilian and strategic applications.

Such cooperation reduces reliance on Western systems like GPS and supports technological sovereignty for both nations. The diplomat emphasised that space research remains a flagship area of bilateral ties, encompassing manned missions, propulsion engineering, and satellite navigation.

India's Gaganyaan mission exemplifies this synergy, with Russia providing critical support in human spaceflight technologies, including crew training and life support systems. Historical ties trace back to 1975, when the Soviet Union launched India's first satellite, Aryabhata, laying the foundation for decades of collaboration.

Beyond navigation, bilateral scientific and technological exchanges thrive in diverse fields such as biomedicine, physics, chemistry, healthcare, and materials science. Joint projects have yielded advancements like streak cameras, high-power lasers, and BGO crystals for scientific applications.

Indian partners show keen interest in polar research, with collaborations involving institutions like India's National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and Russia's Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute. Expeditions, such as those in Lake Baikal for gas hydrate exploration, underscore potential in ocean science and blue economy technologies.

Quantum technologies hold a prominent position in this partnership, featuring exchanges on quantum computing, metrology, and communications between entities like Russia's Quantum Center and India's DST, CSIR, and IITs. Both nations boast significant indigenous developments in this domain.

Artificial intelligence emerges as another growth area, with specialised organisations and start-ups from both countries pursuing joint AI algorithm development, particularly for biometrics. This focus aligns with broader efforts to integrate Russia's AI expertise with India's digital infrastructure.

These initiatives reflect deepening strategic alignment amid global geopolitical shifts, with potential key deals anticipated during high-level visits. The partnership not only bolsters defence and civilian capabilities but also fosters innovation across emerging technologies.

TASS