BITS Pilani, Goa Campus organised a meritorious event, where Shri. Somanath S, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, captivated the audience with a thought-provoking lecture titled “India's Space Journey: in National & Global Perspective”.  He spoke about the need to unlock the high potential of space technology across various sectors and how Indian businesses and startups can leverage data to solve complex problems and also make it into lucrative business ideas. The hall was buzzing with excitement, showing that India's space exploration future looks promising.

The eminent speaker showcased the pioneering spirit of the country while giving a thorough overview of the past, present, and future initiatives of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). His informative talk highlighted how India started small and grew to become a key player in space globally.

Commencing his talk with the profound statement Shri. Somanath S, Chairman of ISRO said, "I stand before the future of India, and the palpable enthusiasm in this filled auditorium today reflects the promise of our ongoing success”.

There were around 500 students from approximately 15 colleges across Goa attending the lecture as part of the BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa campus’s 20^th anniversary of community outreach, apart from the staff and students of BITS Pilani.

During his speech, Shri. Somanath discussed a number of significant accomplishments made by ISRO, including as India's historic first-ever flag-planting on the lunar south. The presentation of India's space accomplishments and significant contributions to the international space community was interesting and entertaining for the audience.

He also shared about the Navic, our own national navigation system, stands apart from global GPS services. While GPS uses a stationary satellite system, Navic is designed for India and the surrounding region, offering better navigation using the L1 band. This week, additional satellites in the L1 band will enhance navigation signals. Navic not only integrates with global navigation services but also provides unique features like low data rate communication, bi-directional communication, and text communication, making it versatile for various applications.

Beyond traditional navigation, Navic's capabilities extend to specific warnings, such as floods or disasters, through region-specific communication. It offers fine synchronization crucial for business networks, railway and banking systems, all of which rely on Navic for timing services. The system is instrumental in tracking tolling activities and even ensures secure Aadhar authentication within the country's boundaries. Navic's diverse applications demonstrate its significance in shaping a technologically advanced and secure ecosystem for India.