Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday said the successful launch of India's first navigation satellite is an important milestone in the development of country's space programme.
He congratulated the department of space and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful launch of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
"The IRNSS-1A satellite is the first in a series which will give India its own space-based navigation system," he said.
The prime minister described the successful launch as an important milestone in the development of India's space programme.
"India's space programme is playing an increasingly important role in socio-economic development of the country," he added.
The satellite was successfully placed in orbit by an Indian rocket Monday midnight.