Bengaluru: India will draft a new space policy aimed at increasing private investments in the country’s space sector to build companies that are global in scale, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chairman K Sivan told ET. The proposed regulations will be in addition to specific policies for launch vehicles, satellite navigation, human space mission and deep space exploration. “We want to create competition and get multiple companies in the space sector that can grow as global leaders,” Sivan said.
Over 23 Indian and overseas companies have approached Isro since August seeking to harness assets built over six decades including rockets, satellites, ground stations and satellite imagery. The nodal agency is looking to transfer critical technologies through its commercial arm — New Space India Ltd (NSIL) — to these companies at lower costs.
“Space technology is costly. We want to make it viable for Indian industries and help them commercialise these technologies,” said Sivan. “We want to make the technology transfer a very simple and low-cost affair.” Last week, NSIL signed a pact to share technology as well as to allow testing facilities with Chennai-based startup Agnikul Cosmos to build a small rocket that can hurl 100 kg satellites to low-earth orbit.
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