Private sector's space lift-off

Startups are gaining from Isro's mentorship and technology transfer, but significant risks remain in this space ILLUSTRATION. DINAV CINULA

- AJAI SHUKLA

The space, rocketry and ballistic missile sectors in India are undergoing a period of profound ILLUSTRATIUN. DINAT SINNA far-reaching developments inside the defence laboratories go on to become profitably commercialised.

Tin India undergoing a of on and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACE). the nodal agency for boosting the private sector's role in the space economy is set to transfer the technology for an entire rocket, the small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV), to private industry. This is expected to enable Indian companies to design and build small rockets, enhancing their contribution to the country's growing space sector. In the secretive world of rocket development, this is, perhaps, the first-ever example where a national space agency has transferred the full design of a launch vehicle to the private sector.

With private companies getting full access to SSLV technology and the right to bid for it, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will codevelop it so that, in the long term, many more companies can build on SSLV technology for delivering small payloads to Near Earth Orbits (NEO), where they can have both military and civilian usage. Over time, it is likely that technology for heavier and more capable rockets such as the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) - will also be transferred.

Meanwhile, the military agency that oversees strategic space and rocketry the Defence Research and Development Organisation has been significantly more cautious, and for appropriate reasons. In charge of developing delivery vehicles for nuclear payload missiles, these are mission-critical, defence-critical, national security-critical technologies. They cannot be handed over to private sector agencies without due deliberation.

They too are eventually slated for privatisation, but through a select group of chosen companies.