Of all the unprecedented decisions that have been taken recently in the country, India’s move to privatise the space sector has proven to be one of the most revolutionary as the number of startups in the sector has increased to more than 100 in 2022 from just 11 in 2019. From launch vehicles to satellites, propulsion engines, remote sensors, navigation & communication etc., Indian space startups are developing space tools and solutions. The move has democratised the access of both public and private space entities to tap the potential of the space sector to the fullest and opened gates to a more collaborative & self-reliant space start-up ecosystem.
India is acting swiftly to fulfil its space ambitions as it also slowly upgrades its position with a space program that marks as one of the most advanced among other spacefaring nations in the Asian Continent. India earmarked Rs 13,700 cr for the Dept. of Space in Budget 2022-23, as ISRO gears up for Gaganyaan — India’s first human spaceflight mission. Besides, India has other future missions including the Chandrayaan-3 programme, the Shukrayaan Venus mission which is expected to get launched in 2024, a twin aeronomy satellite mission that will study the uppermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere, Mission Trishna (in collaboration with French Space Agency CNES) for accurate mapping of land surface temperature, to name a few.
PM Narendra Modi, in the 90th episode of his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, went to lengths lauding the growth of the Indian space sector and shared interesting strides made by various accomplished space start-ups and organisations. Two start-ups ‘Agnikul’ and ‘Skyroot’ – were also mentioned, which are developing launch vehicles that will take small payloads into space, also bringing down the cost of Space Launching significantly. Other space start-ups that made it to the radio programme included the Hyderabad-based Startup ‘Dhruva Space’, which is working on High technology Solar Panels for Satellite deployers and Satellites; and a Banagalore-based start-up ‘Astrome’, which is making flat antennas which will not only be small, but very cost-efficient too. PM also mentioned about Tanvi Patel, a school student who is working on a very small satellite, which is going to be launched into space in the next few months; and about Tanveer Ahmed of ‘Digantara’, another space startup who is trying to map waste in space.
“In the past few years, many big feats related to the space sector… One of these achievements of the country has been the creation of ‘In-Space’ agency, that is promoting new opportunities in the space sector for the private sector of India. This beginning has especially attracted the youth of our country,” PM Modi said as he elaborated on the role being played by the Indian National Center for Space Promotion and Authorization (IN-SPACe) for promoting, handholding, authorizing and licensing private players to carry out Space Activities. Access to ISRO facilities and expertise has also been extended to private entities to support their space activities. The existing policies in the space domain are also being revised and new policies are being drafted to address policy frameworks for various areas such as SpaceCom, Remote Sensing, Technology Transfer, Navigation, Space Transportation, Space exploration and Space Situational Awareness. In order to address the necessary legal framework, the department of Space is also in the process of enacting a National legislation. The draft Space Activities Bill has completed Public and Legal consultations and will be processed for further approvals for inter-ministerial consultations.The government is even in the process of planning to allow FDI with the view to boost the investment in the space sector by the foreign players.
“Like the IT sector, India’s space sector will rise to new heights…we will soon come up with a new policy for the space sector and a policy for ease of doing business,” PM Modi had said after inaugurating the headquarters of the Indian National Center for Space Promotion and Authorization (IN-SPACe) in Ahmedabad just recently. As India awaits this breaking bit, its space economy, which is valued at around ₹40,000 crore, is sure to grow exponentially.
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