NavIC (IRNSS) and DRDO Partnership for Indigenous Chip Development

Overview of NavIC (IRNSS)

• Developed by ISRO: Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), now called NavIC.
• Satellites: 7 satellites in total, 3 in geostationary and 4 in geosynchronous orbits.
• Coverage: Provides positioning and timing accuracy across India and 1500 km beyond.
• Services: Civilian Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and Restricted Service (RS) for defence.

Performance and Accuracy

• Accuracy: Better than 10 meters within India, 20 meters around India.
• Compatibility: Requires NavIC-compatible chipsets in devices.
• Interoperability: Works alongside GPS, Glonass, Galileo, and BeiDou systems.

Partnership for Indigenous Chip Development

• Collaboration: DRDO partners with a Bengaluru-based firm to develop NavIC-compatible chipsets.
• Goal: To boost indigenous development and reduce reliance on foreign chipsets.