Assam lays foundation stone for ISRO radar facility

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stone on 21 September 2026 for an ISRO radar research facility at Chandrapur near Guwahati. Akashvani and Hindustan Times reported the ceremony. ISRO's Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network is responsible for the facility.

The site is part of Project NETRA, a network intended to track satellites and other objects in space. ISRO's 2025–26 annual report says a memorandum of transfer for the Chandrapur land was executed in November 2023 and its registration completed on 7 November 2025. The ceremony marks a new stage for a site selected earlier.

ISRO chairman V. Narayanan told Hindustan Times that a cloud radar for weather research was expected to be commissioned before the end of February 2027, with two more radars following later. The cloud instrument is a different purpose from tracking orbital objects; the reports do not give a commissioning date or measured capability for the site's space-tracking radar.

A 23 September LinkedIn post by SNS iNNovation Hub linked the project to possible opportunities for AI and deep-tech startups. The reviewed project records and ceremony reports identify no private contract awards or startup participation tied to this facility.