ISRO Launches NVS-03, Boosting India's NavIC Navigation System
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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday successfully launched NVS-03, India's next-generation navigation satellite, strengthening the country's indigenous navigation capabilities.
A Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) carrying the satellite lifted off from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota (SDSC-SHAR).
NVS-03 is a key addition to the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system, India's homegrown alternative to GPS.
NVS-03 carries an indigenous Rubidium atomic clock developed by the Space Applications Centre and will transmit in the L1, L5 and S bands. Adding the L1 band makes it compatible with modern civilian smartphone chipsets and wearable devices, widening NavIC's reach beyond specialised receivers.
The atomic clock also delivers precise timekeeping. Banks, stock exchanges and the armed forces all depend on accurate time, and even small discrepancies between time sources can disrupt their operations.
India has been working to build an independent, ground-based timekeeping system. In June 2025, the government said it would stop relying on GPS, which is controlled by the US government, to maintain Indian Standard Time, and switch instead to five atomic clocks installed in Guwahati, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Faridabad and Bhubaneswar. The clocks had been tested and the system was expected to become operational soon, with banks and businesses required to use it once it was live.
The atomic clock also delivers precise timekeeping. Banks, stock exchanges and the armed forces all depend on accurate time, and even small discrepancies between time sources can disrupt their operations.
India has been working to build an independent, ground-based timekeeping system. In June 2025, the government said it would stop relying on GPS, which is controlled by the US government, to maintain Indian Standard Time, and switch instead to five atomic clocks installed in Guwahati, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Faridabad and Bhubaneswar. The clocks had been tested and the system was expected to become operational soon, with banks and businesses required to use it once it was live.
