What is NAVIC?

The Indian space agency made a very special dash to complete India’s NAVIC “Navigation with Indian Constellation” when the last of the seven satellites was successfully placed in the orbit by the polar satellite launch vehicle on April 28, 2016. In the world today, over South-Asia, there are only two other agencies, which provide satellite based navigational signals-American constellation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Russian constellation’s GLONASS system.

India embarked on having a navigation system using satellites when during the Kargil conflict access to such signal was denied to India. NAVIC provides two types of signals, first being a signal, which is available for the average user and can be tapped on any compatible smart phone. ISRO says that the accuracy of the signal on this frequency would be better than 20 meters.

The signal from NAVIC is already being received on a select few compatible smart phones. In times to come, the expectation is that all Indian handsets will be made compatible using chipsets that are enabled to receive signals from NAVIC. For an average user, the NAVIC signal would be an easy way for finding road routes as they travel in India. It will make road, rail and ship transport better streamlined, cheaper and cost-efficient.

It is also hoped that the signal from NAVIC would help Indian women feel safer as more and more mobile phones are made compatible and women would be in a position to send distress or panic signal using the panic button which is to be introduced on Indian phones by 2018.