Isro to move satellites, rockets to its commercial arm NSIL; boost for private sector in space

BENGALURU: India’s space agency will move all its operational satellites, rockets and applications to its commercial arm, New Space India Ltd, allowing the private sector to commercially exploit the assets it has built so far.
Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chairman K Sivan said on Thursday that private firms can also independently build satellites and rockets and launch them from Indian soil.

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (In-Space), a new body set up by the government, will regulate the country’s space industry, he added.

On its part, Isro will focus on building technologies and undertake deep space missions and human space flights.

“An open and inclusive space sector will result in accelerated growth, job creation as well as innovations and will enable the Indian space industry to be a significant player in the global space economy,” Sivan said in a webcast.

India has a fleet of 15 communication satellites that provide direct-to-home, telecom and internet services; it has 13 operational remote sensing satellites for earth observation and applications such as weather and ocean monitoring as well as disaster management.

It has built three generations of rockets that can carry satellites weighing as much as 6 tonnes into geostationary orbit. It is also building a small satellite launch vehicle that can carry smaller satellites into space.

Besides companies such as Larson & Toubro, Godrej Aerospace, MTAR and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, which build systems for India’s space programme, entrepreneurs are also building rockets and satellites to launch on their own.

“What is very positive is that the Chairman spoke about enabling private players, clarified how quickly the Department of Space is willing to act on this and also mentioned that In-Space would be both autonomous and independent,” said Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder of Agnikul Aerospace, an IIT-Madras-incubated startup that is building a rocket to hurl small satellites into space.

Space entrepreneur Susmita Mohanty said India should adopt global best practices and implement space reforms effectively to ensure long-term impact.

“The new reforms will need careful detailing, inclusion of global best practices, proper implementation to ensure speed, fairness and long-term impact. It will need to be bolstered with a robust funding ecosystem for the private sector, akin to the United States and Europe,” Mohanty, the chief executive of Earth2Orbit, said.

In-Space, to be operational in 3-6 months, will have members from academia, government as well as industry representatives on its board and will be under the Space Commission.

“This is a great step forward and can be potentially revolutionary for the sector in the years to come - as influential as when Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) was set up to provide a level-playing field to non-BSNL telecom operators. That change has led to the revolution that Jio and Airtel have brought and similar changes will come in remote sensing and other fields thanks to the setting up of In-Space,” said Awais Ahmed, founder and CEO of Pixxel, a Bengaluru-based startup that is building a fleet of remote sensing satellites.

According to the Isro chairman, the government is working to update the remote sensing data policy as well as the Satcom policy to include the activities of the regulator and is also working on a new navigation policy.