PM interacts with industries, startups and academia from space sector

New Delhi, December 14, 2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the decision to unlock India’s potential in the space sector has heralded a new age of public-private partnership.

Speaking at an interaction with representatives of key industries, startups and academia from the space sector via video conferencing, Modi assured the participants of wholehearted support of the government in this endeavour.

The Union Cabinet had decided in June 2020 to open up space sector and enable the participation of the private sector in the entire gamut of space activities.

With the creation of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), the reforms will provide a level playing field for private companies and start-ups.

Subsequently, several ventures have submitted proposals with IN-SPACe under the Department of Space. The proposals pertain to a vast range of activities including satellite constellation, small satellite launch vehicles, ground station, geospatial services, propulsion systems and application products.

The Prime Minister thanked the participants for providing feedback about their experience so far. The professionalism and transparency in policies as well as in the decision-making process of the government will prove beneficial for the companies joining the space sector, he added.

Taking note of the plans of companies to make rockets and satellites, he said it marked a big change that will further strengthen India’s foray into the space sector. Private investment in the sector will lead to the creation of hi-tech jobs, which will provide a host of opportunities to the talent pool in IITs, NITs and other technical institutions.

Modi said it was his firm belief that just like Indian talent has been able to attain worldwide fame in the IT sector, it will repeat the performance in the space sector as well.

The reforms in the space sector were not limited to ensuring ease of doing business, but necessary mechanisms have also been put in place to ensure help for the participants at each stage, including making available testing facilities and launchpads, he said.

Through these reforms, the endeavour was not only to ensure that India becomes a competitive space market but also to ensure the benefits of the space programme reached the poorest. He asked the participants to think boldly and work for the benefit of society and the country.

He referred to the significance of the space sector in communication and navigation. He assured the participants that they will be co-passengers with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in this age of space research and expressed hope that the country would soon become the manufacturing hub of space assets.

Dr K Sivan, Secretary, Department of Space (DOS) and Chairman, ISRO, briefed the Prime Minister on various proposals received from the industry for obtaining permission from IN-SPACe and support from the Department of Space.

He informed the Prime Minister that more than 25 industries have already approached DOS for undertaking space activities.

During the interaction, the participants provided feedback on the reforms to the Prime Minister. Sunil Bharti Mittal from Bharti Enterprises, Jayant Patil from Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Srinath Ravichandran from Agnikul Cosmos Pvt Ltd, Pawan Kumar Chandana from Skyroot Aerospace Ltd, Colonel H S Shankar from Alpha Design Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Rakesh Verma from MapmyIndia, Awais Ahmed from PIXXEL India and Srimathy Kesan from Space Kidz India expressed their views during the session.

An official press release said the participants thanked the Prime Minister for the move of opening up the sector for private participation, adding that this will help India move towards becoming a superpower in space technology. They expressed resolve to work as active participants in the AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

They appreciated the help and guidance being provided by ISRO for their projects and said that the collaboration of private agencies with ISRO will not only result in more rocket launches per year but will also shape new technological advancements in the development of rocket engines.

They also suggested opening up ISRO facilities for children to draw them further into this sector.

NNN