India seeks global treaty to prevent arms race in space

India called for a legally binding international agreement to prevent an arms race in space, even as it cautioned against selective or subjective interpretations of what constitutes “responsible” behaviour in orbit.

Delivering the national statement during the thematic debate on ‘Outer Space’ at the First Committee of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, Indian diplomat Anmol Sher Bedi said India believed outer space “belongs to all of us — one Earth, one family, one future".

He highlighted that India’s space programme encompasses developmental and security dimensions, with major achievements such as the 2023 lunar landing, the ongoing Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, and plans to set up the Bharatiya Antariksha Station.

On the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space, India r