Bangalore, May 29 2017: India's indigenously developed network of 7 satellites  to provide her own global positioning system or GPS is now, up and working. The ground receivers to  work with what was as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) and has now been rechristened  NAVIC ( navigator in Sanskrit) for NAVigation with Indian Constellation, are falling into place. Services are  expected by end 2017.

With this,  India will join a small club -- US, Russia, China, EU -- with its own  GPS system. The advantage is hugely strategic: NAVIC will cover all of India and  up to 1500 kms beyond,  to provide pin-point positioning and navigation. Today,  everyone uses the  US-based GPS system. What if in a future scenario,  its use is denied to us?  We will then have our own  -- and will not be susceptible to blackmail. Meanwhile the government is being sensible:  GPS which has 30 satellites will remain the  standard,  but  NAVIC will complement it. Already Indian aviation is using one of NAVIC's services -- GAGAN -- for  aircraft guidance.