SAARC Satellite

In the 2014 Kathmandu Summit, India had announced launch of a SAARC Satellite, whose total cost (around 235 Crore) would be borne by India and which would help in telecom, TV, DTC, tele-education, telemedicine and disaster management support to neighbour countries. At present, its in planned stage and is supposed to be launched by March 2017. Pakistan opted out of it because of its security interest and saying that they have their own space programme under SUPARCO {Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, its corresponding organization of Pakistan to ISRO}, though Pakistan itself has no capacity to launch a satellite on its own. Pakistan had initially shown interest and also offered to “help” which India rejected.  All SAARC countries apart from Pakistan have signed up the project so far.