Sky is the limit
India may be playing catch up in most sectors but is always considered among the top in space. It is one among the top space faring nations. By setting up the Indian Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) under the Department of Space, the intention of the Indian Government is clear. It wants to grab a portion of the $360 B global market.
Many private companies in India have been supplying a lot of components that go into making rockets for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Over a 100 companies including Godrej plays an important role. With the opening up of the space sector, what was supply driven would now become demand driven and there would be improved access to space assets that ISRO has developed over the decades right from the days of Vikram Sarabhai.
Globally, space exploration is growing and Indian satellites have made a place for themselves. The Chandrayaan mission catapulted India on top and the several satellite launches by ISRO have increased India’s position among space faring countries. Experts expect a boom in building and launch of satellites. Several universities in India too have built micro satellites.
Open space sector will also spur growth and create an environment for innovation. India has 15 communication satellites, 13 remote sensing satellites for earth observation and applications such as weather and ocean monitoring and disaster management.
In the past, ISRO only outsourced manufacturing of components for rockets and satellites.
In the new world, entrepreneurs now can build rockets and satellites to launch on their own. ISRO that was the regulatory body and the only one to do so now can concentrate on deeper research and allow the private sector to use its painfully developed assets across India. The launch market is estimated at $8billion and India has an edge over US, China, Russia and
Europe in pricing. Chandrayaan-2 cost a small fraction compared to the Apollo moon mission by the United States. Making Hollywood movies are more expensive than India’s moon mission. Chandrayaan-1 was launched at a cost of just Rs 400 crore. That is the advantage of India and the government now wants to cash on, big time.
