New Delhi, IRNA -- A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) User Meeting was organised jointly by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Airports Authority of India at ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) in Bangalore, capital of Karnataka state Thursday

Dr T K Alex, Member, Space Commission and Director, ISAC, inaugurated the meeting, while E K Bharat Bhushan, Director General, DGCA, was also present, said an ISRO statement.

Two technical sessions and a panel discussion were held during the meeting. An overview of GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) and IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System) navigation projects was presented by A S Ganeshan, Project Director, Navigation systems.

During the technical sessions, eminent experts in satellite-based navigation presented their experiences and expertise on utilising the navigation signals for precise positioning and civil aviation and several other services.

Various leading Indian industries showcased their products in an exhibition organised as a part of the meet, the statement said.

A panel discussion with the theme 'Opportunities and Challenges in utilising navigation signals over Indian region' was chaired S K Shiva Kumar, Associate Director, ISAC with members from academia, industry and ISRO.

According to ISRO, navigation has become an integral part of human activity. The space based navigation system has emerged as a forerunner in providing the position, velocity and timing services.

ISRO has identified Satellite Navigation as an important thrust area by planning GAGAN and the upcoming IRNSS.

ISRO and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are implementing the GAGAN project as Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) for the Indian Airspace and Safety of Life applications. The GAGAN Signal-In-Space is now available for civilian users since December 15, 2011.

IRNSS system being developed by ISRO is a regional navigation satellite system providing navigation services over the Indian region that will provide the user a position accuracy that is better than 20 metres on a 24/7 all-weather basis.

Over 250 delegates from government, industry, and academia attended the meeting, the objective of which is to provide a thrust in the development of GNSS-based applications and user receivers utilising GAGAN and IRNSS navigation signals in India.

The user meeting aims to link industry, users and service providers enabling them to share information to promote navigation and positioning satellite systems for transportation, disaster management, environment and agriculture.

The meeting provides an opportunity for the industry on the infinite possibilities of using navigation signals and its spin-offs, it was stated.