India - GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Geospatial & Space Business Summit
28 October 2025
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Overview
GWCC is organizing the India–GCC Geospatial & Space Business Summit, a landmark initiative designed to strengthen collaboration between India and the Gulf region in the fields of Geospatial Infrastructure and Space Applications. This first-of-its-kind summit will serve as a strategic forum to explore emerging opportunities in trade, commerce, and technology partnerships across the geospatial and space sectors.
The summit will provide a dynamic platform for international cooperation, knowledge exchange, and industry-led innovation, enabling stakeholders to identify new avenues for growth, investment, and sustainable development. By bringing together government representatives, industry leaders, and academic experts, the event will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of space and geospatial collaboration between India and GCC nations.
Potential Between India and GCC Countries in Space and Geospatial Cooperation
India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait) are rapidly deepening partnerships in space, geospatial technologies, and defence, driven by shared ambitions for innovation, security, and sustainable growth.
Space Collaboration
- The UAE has emerged as a regional leader with the Emirates Mars Mission (2021), KhalifaSat, and DubaiSat programmes.
- India’s ISRO is actively collaborating with the UAE and Saudi Arabia on remote sensing, climate monitoring, satellite communication, and navigation systems.
- Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has pledged $2.1 billion to expand its space sector, renewing its pact with ISRO and KACST for joint missions, disaster management, and capacity building.
- Oman and Bahrain are partnering with India to adopt NaVIC services, develop national space initiatives, and enhance maritime domain awareness.
Geospatial Cooperation
- Landmark projects such as Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion NEOM Smart City and the UAE’s Masdar City showcase the central role of geospatial intelligence in future urban ecosystems.
- Initiatives like the Abu Dhabi Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) and Bahrain SDI reflect the region’s commitment to institutionalizing geospatial frameworks.
- With advanced capabilities in GNSS, high-resolution imaging, and geospatial analytics, India is positioned as a strategic partner for GCC nations’ digital transformation goals under Vision 2030 and Vision 2071.
The Road Ahead
Together, India and the GCC are shaping a future defined by regional security, technological innovation, and geospatial-driven economic transformation—unlocking billions in trade and investment potential across critical sectors.
SPEAKERS
Shri Periasamy Kumaran
Officer on Special Duty & Additional and Special Secretary,
Economic Relations & Development Administration Partnership, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
Shri Mahaveer Singhvi
Joint Secretary, NEST Division, (New, Emerging & Strategic Technologies Division), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA, India) Government of India
Jacob Gullish
Executive Director, Policy & Digital Economy, Media & Entertainment, US- India Business Council (USIBC) – LinkedIn
Lt Gen Anil Kapoor
IIT Tirupati - IPGF
Sanjay Kumar
CEO and Founder, Geospatial World & Geospatial World Chamber of Commerce
Representative
Indian National Space Promotion & Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), Department of Space, Government of India
CORE OBJECTIVES
To deliberate on the various policy reforms pertaining to Geospatial and Space technologies towards strengthening the existing bilateral relations between the two countries
To demonstrate combined value of geospatial and space technology in overall development of the two countries through business dialogue
To showcase latest technology innovations across space, geospatial, AI/ML, Cloud, Autonomy and their combined integration with geospatial and EO capabilities to develop national geospatial knowledge infrastructure and its applications
To share and exchange the best practices of the Geospatial technologies embedded with future generation technologies and applications
To facilitate an actionable agenda for capacity building of the key stakeholders by leveraging of each other’s capabilities
To draw a roadmap for the next five years with Geospatial and Space technologies and applications at the nucleus
WHO WILL ATTEND?
Industry Leaders
Government Functionaries
Thought Leaders
Business Users
Implementing Agencies
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAMME
- Dialogue forums consisting of participation from Government, Industry and Civil Society leaders
- High Level Networking Reception
PROGRAMME SCHEDULE
INDIA -USA GEOSPATIAL AND SPACE BUSINESS SUMMIT
November 15, 2022
14:00 -17:00
Programme Agenda | Hall 2.5
Topic 1 – Policy Impact and Ease of Doing Business: An Indian Perspective
Topic 2 – India-USA Geospatial & Space Technology Collaboration: Opportunities for Industry
Topic 3 – Technology Transfer and Make in India: Opportunities and Potentials
