New Delhi: Two months before the April 22 deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, a US-based space tech company, Maxar Technologies, experienced a significant surge in requests for high-resolution satellite images of Pahalgam and its surroundings, The Print reported.
The unusual spike in orders occurred between February 2 and February 22, 2025, with at least 12 requests being placed, which was double the usual volume. The starting price for each satellite image is Rs 3 lakh, with costs increasing depending on the image’s resolution.
These orders had started appearing on Maxar’s portal as early as June 2024, shortly after the company partnered with Business Systems International Pvt Ltd (BSI), a Pakistan-based geo-spatial company with a controversial history. Its found Obaidullah Syed, a Pakistani-American businessman, was found guilty and sentenced to one year in prison by a US federal court for unlawfully exporting advanced computer equipment and software to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), which oversees high-explosive testing, nuclear weapon components, and solid-fuel ballistic missile development.
While there is no conclusive evidence that BSI directly placed the orders, experts believe the timing warrants deeper scrutiny, the report further stated.
Maxar’s portal revealed that in addition to Pahalgam, satellite images were also captured of other sensitive regions within India, such as Pulwama, Anantnag, Poonch, Rajouri, and Baramulla. Its clients include government and defence agencies across the world.
