The 28^th Annual Convention of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS) was held in Ahmedabad, India, from 18^th to 20^th December 2008. Taking place simultaneously was the National Symposium on Advances in Remote Sensing Technology and Applications with Special Emphasis on Microwave Remote Sensing. This event, hosted jointly by the Space Applications Centre (ISRO), the Ahmedabad division of ISRS and Nirma University, was held at the Nirma University Campus in Ahmedabad.

Shri D. Rajagopalan, Chief Secretary of the Government of Gujarat, in his inaugural address stressed the progress made in the field of remote sensing. He highlighted the need for new analysis techniques in the use of high-resolution satellite data in thematic mapping and applications, with special reference to problems associated with coastal regions of Gujarat, India.

ISRS president and Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) Secretary Dr Shailesh Nayak welcomed delegates and gave an account of the activities of the Society, including publication of the ISRS Journal. In his speech, ISPRS president and Guest of Honour Prof. Orhan Altan emphasised the need for strengthening the bond between ISPRS and ISRS at international level.

The first day's programme concluded with the traditional Dr Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Popular Lecture. It was delivered this year by Prof. R. Narasimha, Member of the Space Commission and Earth Commission on ‘Climate Change and the Indian Space Programme'.

The event featured keynote speeches by guests including ISPRS president Prof. Orhan Altan, Robert O. Green of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and V. Jayaraman, director of the National Remote Sensing Centre in Hyderabad. Fifteen parallel technical sessions were also held, and more than ninety oral and fifty poster presentations given by scientists representing more than seventy organisations and universities. Two special sessions accompanied the parallel technical: one on industry presentations and one for students.

More than 350 delegates from all over India participated in the conference. On the evening of the second day the Ahmedabad division of the ISRS celebrated its Silver Jubilee with a dinner for members and symposium delegates. The Annual General Body meeting of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing was held on the evening of 19^th December.

Two pre-symposium tutorials were given on 16^th and 17^th December at the Space Applications Centre (ISRO) in Ahmedabad. These received an overwhelming response and both tutorials, one on ‘Microwave Signatures' and one on ‘Hyperspectral Data and Analysis Techniques', were greatly appreciated by all participants.