NEW DELHI—India is pondering either revisiting Mars or the Moon, or mounting its first mission to Venus as its next interplanetary space probe

India plans to launch 28 foreign satellites by 2017, including nine belonging to the U.S.

Contract negotiations are underway between India and Dassault Aviation on the Indian air force’s (IAF) planned purchase of 36 Rafale fighters, with the French company agreeing to an extended period of maintenance responsibility for the aircraft.