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United News of India
2 days ago
- Business
- United News of India
Does ISRO need reshuffle? Questions arise over satellite and rocket production shifts
Chennai, Aug 18 (UNI) With the production of satellites and rockets now being outsourced and the Indian government's satellites are managed under the public sector NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the future of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) looks uncertain and the question arises whether the key part of the Department of Space (DoS) under the central government needs a reshuffle. Recently in a highly debated decision, private space sector regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), announced that the PixxelSpace India-led group, comprising Piersight Space, Satsure Analytics India, and Dhruva Space—will build and operate India's first fully indigenous commercial earth observation (EO) satellite system. Historically, EO satellites and satellite constellations were firmly within ISRO's domain. The other major satellite constellation under ISRO, the NavIC system (Navigation with Indian Satellite Constellation)system, has yet to be fully completed. It raises a pertinent question, whether the government will look at private companies to supply the satellite constellation to provide the positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) or the navigation services? Interestingly, a private space start-up AeroDome Technologies Private Limited co-founded by alumni of Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) is working on a navigation satellite constellation in low Earth orbit (LEO). 'Location and time are the foundational pillars of the modern connected world. Every piece of technology, upon activation, seeks to answer two fundamental questions: when and where,' Vibhor Jain, Co-Founder, AeroDome Technologies told this writer. However, retired ISRO officials said that communication satellite operations are the only part of the space sector likely to generate profits and not PNT or earth observation services. They suggest that had ISRO established a satellite communications company years ago, the situation might have been different today. On the rocket side, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India's leading aircraft manufacturer, won a tender to produce ISRO's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) for Rs. 511 crore. NSIL also entered into an Rs. 860 crore agreement to buy five Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV) from a HAL-Larsen & Toubro Ltd consortium, with ISRO providing the technology for these rockets. It is not known whether ISRO will continue to buy the PSLV rockets from outside after the fifth one from HAL-Larsen & Toubro consortium or revert back to the existing model-assembling the vehicle by itself. And last year, NSIL had also called for Request for Qualification (RFQ) to manufacture ISRO's heavy lift rocket LVM3 on public-private-partnership (PPP) mode. Given these changes and ISRO's huge manpower (sanctioned 17,000 but in place around 16,000 excluding the contracts) a question arises: Should ISRO shift its focus from production to only research? Instead of transferring the rocket and other production technologies to others, could ISRO spin off its various units into separate government-owned companies, with NSIL serving as the procurement and marketing arm? And ISRO in a new avatar could focus on the research, for which it was originally formed. Long ago, in the Indian nuclear power, the field was clearly demarcated with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) focussed on research and development of reactors while Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) focussed on setting up power plants sourcing equipment from outside and generate power. There are separate companies for uranium and rare earth mineral mining and other activities. In the case of ISRO the roles got blurred over the years by carrying out the assembling of commercial satellites and rockets. With the glamour, fame attached to the rocket launches, officials did not look at separating the functions, industry officials said. It is also said the sum of the turnover of Indian space agency's various divisions-rocket, satellite manufacturing, satellite payloads, rocket engine production, launcher integration and launch services, tracking and satellite maintenance- if spun off into different business entities will surpass that of its behemoth parent owing to focused leadership and innovation. 'There are no production facilities in ISRO. It was never created or funded to create. Only R&D facilities were created. We are doing most of the production in industry or using GOCO (government owned and contractor operated) models. There is nothing that can be separated as production facilities except some explosives and propellant processing facilities which in any way won't be possible to be transferred,' former Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, ISRO told this writer. 'You can see that production of all structures and tanks are in HAL and other industries, all electronics in many industries, all machining related works are in industry as well. What ISRO does is development, system engineering and integration, which in any way has to be done by ISRO as there is none,' Somanath said. 'The purpose of technology transfer is to create the final leg of capability in industry,' he added. Somanath said majority of the ISRO staff are in R&D except people required for the facilities running and some critical production and also in rocket launch operation at the rocket port in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. 'The scientists are not recruited for operational work. But now scientists do it part time because work has to be done as there is no industry ready to take integration with required skill. These many people are in so many domains of research in many centres. Each domain has only a handful of people really,' Somanath added. Tapan Misra, retired Director, Space Applications Centre, ISRO told this writer: 'Currently ISRO has two roles – R&D and production. There is substantial manpower deployed in production activity with two/three generations of engineers involved in production than in hard core research.' 'On paper engineers are scientists and many of them are involved in production. Only about 20-30 percent of the staff is involved in research and development and the others are in a supportive role,' Misra commented. According to him, ISRO has missed the bus of kerosene and methane powered rockets. So production and repetitive work has to be taken outside of ISRO as the technology is also old. Only now ISRO is developing a methane powered rocket. Misra said, given this situation, production of existing rockets by a public sector unit like HAL has to be there till the private rocket makers mature and stabilise. The PSUs may produce for ISRO now and may do the same for the private players later. As regards the ISRO staff, the young and bright ones may be encouraged to focus on research and float start-ups and the senior and experienced ones in the production can be deputed to HAL. Those who bid and win the tenders to make rockets and satellites may not have the experience in making the same and hence ISRO's experienced talent pool will be of great help. Industry officials also add that production of rockets and satellites should also be there in the public sector as the government cannot be allowed to be dictated by the private players. 'For instance the Indian government owned telecom player Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has the necessary backend network to support the government and public needs when exigencies demand,' Misra said. Perhaps at a future date, ISRO's production/assembly units may be housed under NSIL. Currently ISRO's facilities are allowed to be used by the private space sector players. 'India now should have a clear focus on the space sector model it wants to focus –American (strong government-private collaboration), the Chinese (military-civil mixture), the European (collaboration amongst nations with current focus on autonomy encouraging private participation) or its own existing model (national development focus, government control, public sector driven and now with private participation encouraged). A hybrid model of these three will not work,' a retired senior ISRO official told this writer. UNI VJ AAB
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
US-based Viasat exploring GEO satellite manufacturing in India: Gautam Sharma
NEW DELHI: Global satellite firm Viasat is exploring the opportunity to build small GEO satellites in India, both for India and for global markets, according to a senior executive. 'We are in discussions with some of the startups to explore building subsystems, satellite buses and even launching future satellites from India, including small GEOs. This will leverage the strong ecosystem fostered by IN-SPACe , which has done an excellent job in nurturing numerous startups," Gautam Sharma, Managing Director, Viasat India , told ETSatcom in an interview. Sharma said Viasat aims to develop a satellite with a bandwidth capacity of 170–175 Gbps and lowering price points to connect the 300–400 million people who remain unconnected. Compared to low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites are typically located at altitudes of over 35,000km, with a latency of more than 500ms, making them ideal for TV broadcasting, satellite radio, and large-scale weather monitoring. Viasat has a strong R&D base in the US and is known for designing some of the world's most advanced payloads, such as the ViaSat-3 series — satellites capable of delivering terabit-class capacities that were unimaginable in the past, he said. "Our current focus is on miniaturising these ViaSat-3 payloads, sourcing them from the US and manufacturing the remaining subsystems, including satellite buses, in India. By leveraging India's capabilities, both in subsystem production and local launches, we can significantly reduce costs," Sharma said. The satellite firm already has an engineering centre in Chennai with nearly 300 employees, and it is expanding corporate base in Hyderabad. "India has a strong pool of engineering talent and for small GEO satellites, we plan to collaborate closely with local startups. We have also signed an MoU with NSIL (NewSpace India Limited), keeping all options open for partnerships and future satellite programs," he said. As the global leader in maritime and aviation connectivity, we are also enhancing our network infrastructure in India to deliver greater coverage. "In parallel, we are in talks with GSAT and NSIL to procure additional capacity over India, as the country's growing connectivity demand calls for significant capacity expansion," the top executive said. Viasat also plans to launch its direct-to-device (D2D) services in India by 2026. 'After a successful demonstration last year, we are now working with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), BSNL , and satellite terminal OEMs, with plans to scale up D2D services by early next year.' While in-flight and maritime connectivity remain core to Viasat's business, it is actively exploring new opportunities to further expand its service portfolio in India, according to the executive. "Viasat has worked with the Indian government for nearly four decades and partners with BSNL to deliver mission-critical services for defence and disaster management agencies." When asked about synergies between satcom and traditional mobile connectivity, he said, "We firmly believe satellite communications will complement terrestrial networks, with both playing vital roles in driving digital inclusion. From this perspective, satellite services are not a threat to terrestrial networks, but rather a powerful partner in expanding connectivity." Watch the full conversation below: ETTelecom Interviews: Viasat's Gautam Sharma on India market potential, LEO & GEO technologies
Time of India
7 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Nat'l Space Day held at city college
Patna: Patna Women's College (PWC) in collaboration with New Space India Limited (NSIL), a wing of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on Tuesday celebrated National Space Day 2025, highlighting India's landmark achievements in space exploration and looking ahead to the exciting missions aimed at pushing the frontiers of science and innovation. Prominent among those who addressed the students included ISRO's programme director Jaswinder Singh Khoral, NSIL's technical and strategic director A Arunachalam, ISRO's former scientific secretary Shantanu Bhatawadekar and Nav Nalanda Mahavihara University's vice-chancellor Siddharth Singh. PWC principal Sister M Rashmi presided. A special highlight of the day was the screening of the documentary 'Triumph and Voyages of Chandrayaan-3', which captured India's pride in its lunar exploration milestone. The program also included a quiz competition and an interactive question-answer session, where students had the unique opportunity to engage directly with the distinguished scientists. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Measat secures IN-SPACe's authorisation authorisation to provide satellite services in India
PETALING JAYA: Measat Global Bhd, Malaysia's premier space technology solutions provider, has secured authorisation from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to offer satellite services in India through NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL). With IN-SPACe's authorisation, Measat is now able to offer space-based communications and broadcasting services in the Indian market, in line with requirements of the Indian Space Policy for foreign satellite operators. To commemorate the appointment of NSIL as Measat's local partner, a signing ceremony was held in Bengaluru with Measat represented by chief operating officer Yau Chyong Lim and NSIL by then chairman and managing director Radhakrishnan Durairaj. NSIL, a government-owned company under India's Department of Space, is a satellite owner and operator, providing services to users from government and private sectors. It also delivers other space-based products and services derived from the India Space Programme to global clients, besides fostering growth within India's space industry. Through NSIL, Measat offers satellite capacity to pay-TV operators and broadcasters in the Indian market, facilitating the distribution of over 600 TV channels and reaching over 11 million direct-to-home customers in India, as well as supports video content distribution across Asia, Australia, Africa and Southern Europe. 'Measat is honoured to receive authorisation from IN-SPACe to offer satellite services in India through NSIL. We have worked with NSIL in various capacities and are pleased to continue expanding and strengthening our collaboration with them. Their vast experience in India will be a key advantage for Measat in leveraging our capabilities and satellite fleet to support current and future client needs. Whether it is in broadcasting, bridging the rural communications gap, or other uses, we are confident that Measat's portfolio of services has broad potential for application in this region in the coming years,' said Yau. Radhakrishnan said that through the availability of Measat's capacity, Indian broadcasters will be able to access one of the strongest satellite neighbourhoods in the Asia-Pacific to offer a wide range of content to a global audience. 'As a long-time partner of Measat, we hope these international collaborations will further contribute to achieving India's national goals for the space industry besides helping local businesses in other sectors reach their growth targets,' he added.
Broadcast Pro
08-07-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Measat secures IN-SPACe authorisation for satellite services in India via NSIL
With authorisation, Measat is now able to offer space-based communications and broadcasting services in the Indian market. Measat has received formal authorisation from Indias National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) on June 30, 2025, enabling it to deliver satellite-based communication and broadcasting services in the Indian market through its partnership with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). This move aligns with the requirements outlined in Indias Space Policy for foreign satellite operators entering the country. To mark the milestone, a signing ceremony was held in Bengaluru, with Measat represented by its Chief Operating Officer Yau Chyong Lim and Chief Commercial Officer Ganendra Selvaraj, while NSIL was represented by its then Chairman and Managing Director Radhakrishnan Durairaj and Director of Strategy and Technical, A Arunachalam. NSIL, a government enterprise under Indias Department of Space, plays a pivotal role in operating satellites and delivering space-based services to both public and private clients. It also serves as a gateway for global users to access Indian space capabilities while supporting the expansion of Indias domestic space ecosystem. Under this new arrangement, Measat will provide satellite capacity to Indian pay-TV operators and broadcasters, facilitating the delivery of over 600 TV channels and reaching more than 11m Direct-to-Home (DTH) subscribers across the country. Additionally, the collaboration supports broader video content distribution across Asia, Australia, Africa, and Southern Europe. Speaking about the authorisation, Yau Chyong Lim, Chief Operating Officer, Measat, said: 'Measat is honoured to receive authorisation from IN-SPACe to offer satellite services in India through NSIL. We have worked with NSIL in various capacities and are pleased to continue expanding and strengthening our collaboration with them. Their vast experience in India will be a key advantage for Measat in leveraging our capabilities and satellite fleet to support current and future client needs. Whether it is in broadcasting, bridging the rural communications gap, or other uses, we are confident that Measats portfolio of services has broad potential for application in this region in the coming years.' Radhakrishnan Durairaj, the then Chairman and Managing Director, NSIL, added: 'We warmly welcome IN-SPACes authorisation for Measat to offer its satellite services in India and are pleased to be Measats partner in this market. Through the availability of Measats capacity, Indian broadcasters will be able to access one of the strongest satellite neighbourhoods in the Asia Pacific to offer a wide range of content to a global audience. As a long-time partner of Measat, we hope these international collaborations will further contribute to achieving Indias national goals for the space industry besides helping local businesses in other sectors reach their growth targets.'
