Latest news with #IndianSpacePolicy2023
Time of India
5 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
India's expanding space sector has enough space for startups: Ex-ISRO chief
1 2 Chandigarh: Former ISRO chairman Dr S Somanath on Monday delivered a lecture at Panjab University on the future of India's space sector, highlighting new opportunities for private enterprise, startups, and academia under the Indian Space Policy 2023. Speaking at the PU Law Auditorium as part of the PU Colloquium Series, Dr Somanath said India is transitioning from a government-dominated space model to a stakeholder-based ecosystem. He stressed the need for universities to play an active role in building a self-sustaining space research and industrial framework. Now the Vikram Sarabhai Distinguished Professor and President-elect of the Aeronautical Society of India, Dr Somanath spoke on upcoming missions to Mars and Venus, development of reusable launch vehicles, and the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) by 2035. He said India aims to achieve a permanent human presence in space by 2047. He also spoke about satellite technologies being used in crop monitoring, insurance, irrigation planning, and disaster management. Tools such as Krishi-DSS and SASYA, along with platforms like Bhuvan, are helping farmers and state agencies improve planning and productivity. The talk was attended by students, researchers, and faculty members. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is AI the secret to mastering a new language faster than ever? See why experts are buzzing. Talkpal AI Undo PU Vice Chancellor Professor Renu Vig presided over the event, which also saw the presence of Dean University Instructions Prof Yojna Rawat, Registrar Prof Y P Verma, R&D Cell Director Prof Meenkashi Goyal, and Colloquium Coordinator Prof Desh Deepak Singh. Dr Somanath said India's space growth is no longer limited to launch pads or satellites but now includes business models, private innovation, and global collaboration. Conferred honorary degree by PEC Former ISRO chairman Dr S Somanath was conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University), Chandigarh, on Monday. The felicitation ceremony was presided over by PEC Board of Governors Chairman Rajinder Gupta and Director Prof. Rajesh Kumar Bhatia. Dr. Somanath also unveiled a commemorative plaque in honour of aerospace pioneer and PEC alumnus Satish Dhawan. Addressing faculty, students, and invited guests, he spoke of Dhawan's contributions to India's space programme and recalled their time working together during key PSLV missions. In his address, Dr. Somanath stressed the importance of stronger collaboration between academia and industry to foster innovation and convert research into national assets. He also discussed India's ongoing efforts toward developing a human spaceflight programme. Among those present were Panjab University Vice Chancellor Prof. Renu Vig, former PU VC Prof. A.K. Grover, INSA Emeritus Professor Dr. K.P. Singh, and other senior faculty members. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof. Uma Batra.
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
CM Bhupendra Patel inaugurates regional meet on space applications
Gandhinagar: Inaugurating a regional meet on space applications in Gandhinagar on Tuesday, chief minister Bhupendra Patel emphasised the importance of leveraging space-based technology to enhance administrative efficiency. Representatives from Gujarat, Diu, Daman and Dadra and Nagar Haveli were present at the meeting, an official statement said. State govt departments and institutions are being encouraged to maximise the use of inputs derived from space technology in the planning, monitoring, evaluation and decision-making processes of their development programmes, disaster management efforts and strategic sectors. At the one-day regional meeting held in Gandhinagar, scientists of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), policymakers and industry leaders convened to discuss and collaborate on the application of satellite technology for sustainable development in agriculture, disaster management and urban planning, the govt said. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad The statement added that in order to align with space sector reforms and the Indian Space Policy 2023, the Centre aims to reassess space technology usage and plan future infrastructure. A second national conference on 'Leveraging Space Technology for Viksit Bharat 2047' will be held on Aug 22 in New Delhi. As part of the preparations for this meeting, workshops are being organised at the state level by Isro and the department of space.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Why has Tamil Nadu adopted a space sector policy?
The story so far: On April 17, the Tamil Nadu Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in Chennai, approved the Space Industrial Policy, thereby following Karnataka and Gujarat in formulating a State-specific document to stimulate development and woo investments in the space sector, which encompasses satellite manufacturing, launch services, and satellite services. In 2023, the Union government came out with the Indian Space Policy 2023 to provide a framework to support the space ecosystem. How is Tamil Nadu placed? The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has established an ISRO propulsion complex (IRPC) in Mahendragiri of Tirunelveli district. Apart from handling and testing earth storable propellant engines, cryogenic engines and stages for launch vehicles, the IRPC conducts research and development (R&D) and technology development programmes. ISRO is also establishing the country's second spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi. This strategic initiative aims to enhance India's space capabilities and facilitate satellite launches. The State is also home to various space startups, which are working on subdomains such as launch vehicles, reusable launch vehicles, in-space refuelling, in-space manufacturing and multi-payload data fusion from satellites, as per the Space Industrial Policy. Additionally, the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Tiruchi, hosts the southern region's Space Technology Incubation Centre (STIC), playing a pivotal role in undertaking developmental projects of the ISRO. What triggered the policy? The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), a body created by the Department of Space at the Centre for promoting, authorising and overseeing the activities of Non-Government Entities (NGEs) in the sector, had suggested to the State government to come out with a document, says a senior official. Even as the State government produced the Aerospace and Defence (A&D) Industrial Policy three years ago, it identified space as one of the priority areas. Additionally, the State has a vendor base with over 250 vendors catering to the requirements of the ISRO. The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IN-SPACe to enable startups and established companies to launch manufacturing related activities and services, design and R&D, strategic electronics manufacturing and space-grade components. What does Policy want to achieve? Aimed at attracting ₹10,000 crore investments in the next five years, the document, according to the government, may pave the way for the generation of direct and indirect employment for nearly 10,000 persons in the given period. The Policy has been prepared, keeping in mind the need for leveraging the State's strengths in electronics, precision manufacturing and related sectors, and integrating space technologies into Tamil Nadu's governance to improve citizens' quality of life. Space technologies have immense applications in departments such as disaster management, fisheries, agriculture, transport, revenue, health, and municipal administration. The State government would provide a payroll subsidy for companies that are involved in R&D or that would establish global capability centres in the space sector. The government will also notify select regions as Space Bays for offering structured packages of incentives to firms that plan to do investments below ₹300 crore. Additionally, space industrial park developers will be eligible for an industrial housing incentive of 10% on the cost of developing residential facilities within the industrial park over 10 years, subject to a ceiling of ₹10 crore. Those undertaking green and sustainable initiatives will be eligible for a 25% subsidy on the cost of capital for such initiatives, subject to a ceiling of ₹5 crore.
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
To fuel $44-billion space push, Centre finalises Space Bill to boost private sector, give IN-SPACe statutory powers
A new draft of the Space Activities Bill, which seeks to facilitate greater participation of private industry in space sector, and grant statutory powers to IN-SPACe, which acts as a sort of a regulator for private space companies, has been finalised, and ready for circulation to the stakeholder ministries, an official told The Indian Express. This bill had earlier been prepared in 2017 and shared in public domain for comments and suggestions. But it could never be finalised and introduced in Parliament. In subsequent years, the government created INSPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) in 2020 and formulated the Indian Space Policy 2023 with the same intent and purpose. But the need for a legislative framework has remained, particularly with the proliferation of private space companies indulging in a variety of space activities in the last few years. The need to regulate space activities becomes necessary also because of the fact that the Indian government has to adhere to the provisions of the various international treaties it has acceded to on the use of outer space. Under these treaties, the Indian government is responsible for the consequences of all space activities being carried out from its jurisdiction. 'The bill is now almost ready and will soon be circulated to the stakeholder ministries for consultations,' Pawan Goenka, chairperson of INSPACe, told The Indian Express. 'It will provide legal backing to the authorisation and regulation processes in the space industry. As of now, authorisations to private players are provided on a case-to-case basis, as per the policies brought out by the agency. But INSPACe itself lacks statutory authority. The bill will grant it that,' Goenka said. The new draft incorporates the suggestions made earlier, and accounts for the substantively changed situation in terms of participation of private industry in space sector. The 2017 draft had provisions of a three-year imprisonment and a fine of over Rs one crore for offences such as carrying out a space activity without a license, furnishing false information, or polluting the outer space. It also had a provision saying any intellectual property right created in the outer space would belong to the government. Those provisions have been amended in line with the suggestions and recommendations received from the industry. Private industry has been asking for a legal framework that will enable the sector to grow at a rapid pace. One of their specific demands has been to include a provision that allows them to access easy insurance for their high value systems. Currently, the cost of insuring space assets and space activities is very high, making them unaffordable for upcoming start-ups. 'The provision for insurance will indeed be a part of the draft bill,' Goenka said. The bill is seen as an important step towards achieving the goal of a 44 billion dollar space market in India by the year 2033, at least one fourth of which, 11 billion dollars is supposed to be generated from exports. In 2022, India's space market was estimated to be worth 8.4 billion dollars. 'After the internal consultation with the stakeholder ministries, the draft bill will be sent for a wider consultation to different ministries and then shared with the general public. Once we get all the inputs — depending on what the inputs are, not everything has to be included but these are things that have to be accounted for — we will create the final draft. The final draft will go to the minister in-charge, which is the PM in this case. Once it is approved, it will go to the cabinet and then the parliament,' Goenka said. He said at least three state governments had come up with their own space policies. This is the first step towards setting up manufacturing hubs in these states. 'States will do the manufacturing, it will not be the central government. What we are doing is incentivising the states to set up manufacturing parks specific to space. So far three have come up,' Goenka said. The states that have come up with a policy include Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Karnataka. IN-SPACe is also in talks with Maharashtra and possibly another state to set up such manufacturing hubs. 'We will not do more than four to five hubs right now because there isn't enough room for more. Let the activities grow and then we will do more,' he said. He added that the space manufacturing hub in Tamil Nadu will focus on launch vehicles, Gujarat on satellites and other payloads, while the hub in Karnataka is likely to be more general as most of the space activities take place in Bengaluru. Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country's space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University's Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor's Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More
New Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Karnataka, IN-SPACe ink pact to boost space sector
BENGALURU: The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, have signed two MoUs to strengthen the state's position as a leading commercial space hub. The MoUs signed signed on Wednesday includes, establishing a Centre of Excellence for Space Technologies in Bengaluru and setting up of a public-private space manufacturing park to anchor next-generation satellite and launch-vehicle production. The MoUs were signed by Ekroop Caur, Secretary to Government (Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Science & Technology) and Lochan Sehra, Joint Secretary, IN-SPACe, in the presence of Shalini Rajneesh, Chief Secretary to Karnataka, and Dr Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe. Karnataka which is already home to space-related entities is expected to further strengthen its space ecosystem through these initiatives, aligning with the Indian Space Policy 2023, a press release from INSPACE stated. 'The MoUs mark a new chapter in Karnataka's space journey, creating a seamless talent and value chain,' said Shalini Rajneesh. Dr Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe highlighted Karnataka's potential as a hub for NewSpace enterprises. 'We look forward to working closely with the state to see more satellites, engines, and deep-space technologies being developed and manufactured,' he said.
