Explainers · Science

NavIC and GPS

India's own navigation system, how it differs from GPS, and the other systems in the world.

Step by step

1. What is satellite navigation?

   Satellites send precise time signals. A receiver, such as a phone, measures how long signals from several satellites take to arrive and works out its position from that.

2. What is NavIC?

   Navigation with Indian Constellation: India's own regional navigation system, built by ISRO. Its earlier name was IRNSS. It covers India and about 1,500 km around it.

3. How is it different from GPS?

   GPS belongs to the USA and covers the whole world with about 30 satellites in medium Earth orbit. NavIC is regional, uses satellites in geostationary and geosynchronous orbits high above India, and is under Indian control, which matters in a crisis.

4. The NVS series

   Second-generation NavIC satellites (NVS-01 from 2023 onwards) carry an Indian-made atomic clock and add the L1 signal, which most phones already use, so NavIC can work in more devices.

5. Other systems

   GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (European Union) and BeiDou (China) are global. QZSS (Japan) is regional, like NavIC.

Exam facts

• Built byISRO
• Earlier nameIRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System)
• CoverageIndia and about 1,500 km beyond
• SignalsL5 and S bands; L1 added in the NVS series
• Latest satelliteNVS-03, launched on GSLV-F18 on 30 Oct 2026
• USA's systemGPS
• Russia's systemGLONASS
• EU's systemGalileo
• China's systemBeiDou
• Japan's regional systemQZSS