India's Space Pursuit and the Changing Matrix of South Asian Security

Abstract

China's rise as a global power and its pursuit of space technologies have increased India's insecurity. To address the challenge of China (and benefit from the technological revolution), India has invested heavily in the space sector. Its space program benefits from indigenous innovations and international cooperation. However, its military achievements in the space domain have aggravated Pakistan's sense of insecurity. Pakistan's financial and technological limitations have forced it to look toward China to mitigate the Indian threat and maintain the balance of power in South Asia. In addition to great power competition in the region, these perceptions of security and insecurity and states' efforts to maximize their security are likely to exacerbate competition and negatively affect the prospects of mediation.