Union Budget 2026-27 allocates over ₹500 crore for four mega-telescope projects

Key facts

• The Union Budget 2026-27 announced funding for four mega-telescope facilities to be spearheaded by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).
• The National Large Solar Telescope (NLST) is a 2-metre class Gregorian multi-purpose telescope to be located in Merak, near Pangong Tso Lake in Ladakh.
• The NLST is designed to study the Sun's magnetic fields and atmospheric processes with a spatial resolution of approximately 50 kilometres.
• The National Large Optical-Infrared Telescope (NLOT) will be a 10-12 metre class facility situated at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) in Hanle, Ladakh.
• The NLOT will utilise segmented mirror technology to observe star births, early galaxies, and chemical signatures of distant exoplanets in the deep infrared.
• The 2-metre Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) at Hanle, operational since 2001, will receive an upgrade to its sensors and backend instrumentation for transient astronomy.
• The COSMOS-2 Planetarium will be established in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, as a Cosmology Education and Research Training Centre featuring an 8K LED dome.
• The Union Government has allocated a combined investment of over ₹500 crore specifically for these space science infrastructure projects.