Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Union Budget on Sunday that four telescope infrastructure facilities will be set up or upgraded to promote astrophysics and astronomy through immersive experiences.
These are the National Large Solar Telescope (NLST), the National Large Optical Infrared Telescope (NLOT), the Chandra Himalayan Telescope, and the Cosmology Education and Research Planetarium (COSMOS 2). All these projects will be overseen by the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).
NLST is the country’s proposed ground-based 2m optical and near-infrared (IR) observing facility to be located near Pongong Lake in Merak, Ladakh.
NLOT is likely to come at Hanla in Ladakh. The Himalayan Chandra telescope will get an upgrade and the COSMOS 2 planetarium will be established in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.
COSMOS-1 Planetarium, a state-of-the-art LED-Dome Planetarium is already under construction at the foot of Chamundi Hill in Mysuru. It is done through a Memorandum of Understanding between the IIA and the University of Mysore.
“The announcement of the expansion of telescope infrastructure and teaching facilities is a meaningful step to strengthen India’s science base in astrophysics and astronomy,” said Lt Gen AK Bhatt (retd), Director General of the Indian Space Association (ISpA).
Published – 01 Feb 2026 20:49 IST