India is building a spacecraft for mobile applications that will enable use of satellite phones without dependence on foreign players, former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair said in Bangalore.

Presently, satellite phones used in India are supported by foreign satellites, including Indonesian ones.

"We are yet to make an impact on satellite-based mobile communication. But again there are plans to evolve such systems," Nair said.

"Designs are evolved. They (ISRO) are in the process of building the satellite," he told reporters after addressing the India Semiconductor Association's vision summit.

"It requires a huge deployable antenna on board. With that...with reasonable power, we can manage hand held communication systems. Maybe in a year or two, it (the satellite) will be up," Nair said.

He said only the S-band can be used for mobile applications. "Already ISRO is doing some work on that... almost like PC (Personal Computer) size," the scientist said.

Responding to questions, Nair, who oversaw 25 successful missions during his six-year tenure as head of India's space agency, stressed the need to protect India's space assets.

"Space-based assets are used for national development. We very much depend on that. One has to ensure the security space assets," Nair, who is currently the president of the International Academy of Astronautics, added.