India has made further progress toward the goal of putting heavy satellites into orbit with the successful testing of an indigenous cryogenic rocket engine, a senior space official says.

India has received approval from the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) for a $96 million support deal for its Lockheed Martin C-130J airlifters to help them meet local transport and disaster assistance requirements.

NEW DELHI—India is working with its neighbors to establish a dedicated satellite for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) region by next year to fulfill the requirement for satellite transponders for communication and weather forecasting.