Antrix-Devas deal: Ex-Department of Space officer says secrecy was needed due to US curbs

Former additional secretary S K Das, who is among the accused in a corruption case, has revealed to the CBI that secrecy surrounding the Antrix-Devas deal was necessary due to US technology control regimes imposed on India. In 2005, ISRO's commercial arm, Antrix Corp, signed a satellite deal with Devas Multimedia Pvt Ltd, seeking access to hybrid digital communication technology from the US.

At that time, only the US technology was adaptable in India, making it the only viable option for ISRO to acquire such technology. Das, who was a member of a team led by then ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair to the US in August 2003, was informed that the technology was included in the US-banned technology regime. The secrecy surrounding the deal prevented the specific user of the satellite from being mentioned in official records, as it was a common practice in earlier notes submitted to the Space Commission and the Cabinet for approval.