Latest news with #IndianSpacePolicy2023
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.
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Expanding space economy: new study calls for evidence-based policies, supportive regulations
A new study on India's space economy has called for 'evidence-based policies' for expanding the space sector and the creation of enabling environments for private players, public-private partnerships and innovation through supportive regulations. A research paper highlighting the findings, 'Space economy of India, its impact on the rest of the economy' published in the journal Space Policy (Elsevier) observed that increasing private-sector involvement in the Indian space sector has triggered 'significant growth and transformation' in recent years, a change that is reflected in employment trends as well. While the number of private space companies in India has jumped from a mere 11 in 2019 to over 400 in 2024, the funding for private space companies touched $124.7 million in 2023, up from $67.2 million in 2021, noted the paper by Sunil Mani of the Centre for Development Studies (CDS); V.K. Dadhwal of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru; and C.S. Shaijumon of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST). 'Remarkable expansion' 'The private space sector in India is undergoing remarkable expansion, fuelled by a combination of well-established corporations and a burgeoning number of innovative start-ups. This vibrant ecosystem is being shaped by close collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), leading to unprecedented levels of technological advancement and job creation across the industry,' the paper noted. Consequently, the demand for senior leadership positions in the private space sector is up. 'Companies are seeking executives with specialised skills in spacecraft design, launch vehicle development, ground station management, remote sensing, and space policy,' it noted. On the one hand, the space sector opens up new revenue streams and direct and indirect avenues for jobs within the industry as well as in local and regional economies. On the other, it helps improve efficiency, social inclusion, cost avoidance in the economy, and monitoring environmental impacts. The authors noted that in 2020-21 India's space economy was valued at approximately ₹38,700 crore, representing 0.20 % of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Though modest in scale, it nonetheless has a disproportionately large developmental and socioeconomic impact, they observed. 'As public and private investments grow, these impacts are expected to deepen and diversify, reinforcing the strategic and economic relevance of space as a driver of India's inclusive growth and technological progress,' the paper said. The findings come against the backdrop of the Union government opening up the space sector to private players and the Indian Space Policy 2023. The present study, the authors said, was intended to address 'several of the analytical and empirical gaps' in existing literature on the space economy. They underscored the need for 'updated and comprehensive' analyses of the space economy to guide future policies and strengthen India's status in the global space arena.
