South Asia Satellite launched into orbit

India today successfully launched the South Asia Satellite from the Second Launch Pad (SLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota of Andhra Pradesh.

The South Asian communication satellite (GSAT-9) was launched on board India Space Research Organisation's rocket GSLV-09, a 50-metre tall rocket weighing about 412 tons, from Sriharikota space port around 4:57pm local time, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

The 2230-kg satellite, built and funded totally by India, is carrying 12 top-of-the-line communication transponders, making it India's most significant space project since February's record-breaking launch of 104 mini-satellites in a single launch.

READ MORE: India launches South Asia satellite today

Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka have joined the project but Pakistan has chosen to stay out of it.

Each country which has joined South Asia satellite project can use at least one transponder provided it has the ground infrastructure like earth stations to receive signals from the satellite.

Modi had described the South Asia satellite as India's "invaluable gift" to its neighbours. 

Friday's launch will enable the new satellite to provide telecommunications, disaster management and weather forecasting services, among others.

The satellite focusing on disaster communications could be particularly beneficial to South Asia, home to about a quarter of the world's population and prone to tropical cyclones, heat waves, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and floods.