Space Startups – Dutch Uncles

India’s Space Tech Startups : A Promising Future in 2022

Shalmoli Sarkar — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 12:30:11 +0000

Recently released Rocket Boys on Voot has been the greatest web series ever made on India’s brightest minds trying their bit to build India’s first indigenous rocket and eventually becoming the world’s top space organisation.

The web series has shown a disgruntled Homi who complains about India’s dependence on other countries for raw materials putting India’s space mission in a backseat.

Cut to 2022, India announces its launch of Chandrayaan-3 by August and has been established as one of the world’s best space organisations equipped with the brightest of scientific minds but the dependence on raw materials and electronics from external sources yet remains unsolved.

In 2019, India’s space agency planned to build and launched 17 homegrown satellites but managed to deliver only half due to a shortage of electronic parts. The absence of a robust homegrown electronics ecosystem is hurting the ambitious space targets by the ISRO that has lined more than 60 missions over the next five years. This brings two questions. Will partnering with space tech startups or private entities help ISRO to reduce dependence on imports and manage costs? Is it the right time for space tech startups?

Time for Indian space tech startups to take off

The greatest challenge lies in ISRO and the Department of Space not being willing to engage with private entities that leave the market dry for the Indian space tech startups to mushroom. According to Statista, the global space economy was pegged at $423.8 billion in 2019, which includes a range of activities involved in the researching, exploring, and utilization of space, whereas India despite having the most successful space missions contributes only 2 percent in the global space economy far behind USA and China. The two key reasons for India’s low contribution can be attributed to the lack of specific laws and effective monopoly of ISRO in overall space-related activities.

If we look at foreign space organisations or agencies, the private sector has played a pivotal role in the global space economy. Companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and Arianespace have disrupted the space sector by reducing costs and turnaround time with advanced technology, whereas in India the private players are limited to just being vendors for suppliers of instruments such as higher resolution cameras, SLVs, etc.

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According to Statista, the global space economy was pegged at $423.8 billion in 2019, which includes a range of activities involved in the researching, exploring, and utilization of space.

What lies ahead for India’s space tech startups?

Space tech startups and ISRO can form a symbiotic relationship where ISRO can guide or help startups in various ways by either supplying subsystems or allowing the use of their infrastructure and facilities, to lend time on ground stations and even compliance. On the other hand, ISRO has about 500 domestic vendors for its mission and yet imports certain optics and semiconductors thus there lies a demand gap where space tech startups should foray. Associating or nurturing space tech startups will be highly beneficial for ISRO in the long run if the private players can produce these components and can take over the satellite and rocket production so that the space organisation can invest its time into core space research.

Moreover, other than restricted to space, the startups will find new avenues in satellites, sub-assemblies, electronic components, materials for domestic usage in sectors like agriculture, weather, communications, military, defence, banking, monitoring, geographic information systems, and surveillance. To encourage the growth of startups in space ISRO has opened its door to startups through the programme – Space Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development (SEED). According to ISRO’s report the number of startups in the space sector increased to 47 in 2021 from 11 in 2019. From the funding front, the startups have raised $30 million in 2021 from less than $10 million in 2019 as per Equitymaster, thus ushering the pace of growth in the space sector in India.

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Spacetech Start-up Pixxel is Making the World ‘See the Unseen’

Swagat Swaroop Barman — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 12:35:04 +0000

Pixxel, a spacetech start-up, was founded by two BITS Pilani graduates in February 2019 against all odds. The small-town duo of Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal pursued their dreams to build India’s very own equivalent SpaceX, one that would help keep vigilance on the planet Earth from space. With a tagline of ‘Seeing the Unseen,’ Pixxel’s primary goal is to build a health monitor for planet Earth with the help of a constellation of advanced hyperspectral satellites. Through Pixxel, the founders aim to give the world omnipresent eyes on the blue planet, thereby helping to churn out data needed for building a sustainable future.

Pixxel: From a Dream to a Reality

When we think about the Indian space tech start-ups, we generally tend to picture a bunch of scientists who are well past their youth as the driving forces behind the initiative. The young indulging in the space tech segment is still a relatively rare sight for many. However, in a dramatic turn of events, two 22-year-old space enthusiasts from BITS Pilani have made history by developing Pixxel to put constellation satellites of the highest imagery resolution in a sun-synchronous orbit. Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal have collectively pulled off an uphill task through their dint of sheer hard work and commitment.

Awais Ahmed optimistically predicted two years ago that through Pixxel, he and Kshitij were looking forward to building their first satellite by 2021, which would then continue to expand. What started as a mere dream back in May 2018 has manifested into reality today. Pixxel is also set to make a world record for making the highest resolution hyperspectral imaging satellites.

The Birth of Pixxel

Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal hail from the Indian suburbs. They were both driven by science and technology ever since their childhood. During their college days at BITS Pilani, the two became friends and became part of their college team called ‘Hyperloop India’. To his credit, Awais Ahmed, in fact, was one of the founding members of ‘Hyperloop India’.

Team Hyperloop India is a non-profit multi-stakeholder consortium of 60+ student volunteers and organisations interested in reinventing transportation in India. Students from several other BITS campuses then accumulated in no time for the cause and started communicating with SpaceX, the American private aerospace giant founded by Elon Musk.

This then led them to participate in the Hyperloop Pod Competition in 2017, organised by SpaceX. They presented a working Hyperloop pod prototype to Elon Musk at the SpaceX headquarters in Los Angeles. Coincidently, Ahmed and Khandelwal happened to be the only two Indian finalists of the competition, with their team being one of the two Asian finalists.

This merit was the benchmark for even greater things to come in the lives of Ahmed and Khandelwal. The boost in morale that the duo got from the competition led them to ponder over participating in the IBM Watson AI XPRIZE Competition in February 2018. They began developing AI models that could capture satellite imagery and develop solutions for a sustainable future. It was at this time that the duo encountered a significant hurdle.

They found out that the satellite imagery that was captured was years old, and for them to come up with any amicable solutions and data, the images had to be up to date. Thus, Ahmed and Khandelwal dodged the second competition for the time being and instead focused on developing satellites capable of capturing earth’s real-time images. This marked the birth of Pixxel.

What is Pixxel All About?

To go by the definition, Pixxel is basically a space data company that has developed a constellation of hyperspectral earth imaging satellites. In addition to keeping vigilance through satellites, Pixxel also facilitates the analytical tools to examine insights from the extracted data. The fundamental objective of this start-up is to detect, monitor and predict global phenomena from the vantage point in space.

Earlier headquartered in both Chennai and Bangalore, Pixxel is now being shifted entirely to Bangalore. Pixxel’s hyperspectral constellation is installed in such a manner that it beams down ten times more information than any other satellite revolving in orbit today. In doing so, Pixxel serves itself as a medium of utter helpfulness when it comes to building a sustainable planet- ranging from the agricultural sector to the mining sector.

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Pixxel's hyperspectral constellation is installed in such a manner that it beams down ten times more information than any other satellite revolving in orbit today.

Shaping a Unique Start-up Model

The business model that Pixxel has been moulded into by and large follows the footprints of other private aerospace manufacturing companies of the US, such as the likes of SpaceX, Boeing, Lockheed and so on. Essentially being made on a B2B model, Pixxel’s satellites are designed to provide global coverage every day once it becomes fully functional. The data will be used by organisations and businesses alike to detect, monitor and predict global phenomena in agriculture, oil and gas, climate change, forestry, and urban planning, to name a few sectors.

Pixxel also holds the record of raising the highest ever amount in seed funding. So far, it has raised a total of a staggering $7.3 million in funding, which speaks for the unmatched potential that this space tech company carries. This has also led established institutional venture capital firms like Lightspeed India and Blume Ventures to make their first-ever investment in this particular sector. Additionally, Pixxel has already signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and letters of intent with leading agricultural and oil and gas firms from both the United States and India.

Utilising the Assets within

Having skimmed through the advantages of Pixxel, these advantages must be channelised into the right path to incur the best possible outcomes through the investment. Stakeholders can utilise this constellation of satellites for a sustainable future in multiple sectors, some of which are as follows:

AGRICULTURE:

Pixxel’s technology can be used to monitor the condition of crops, detect variations and improvise yield. This can be done by covering large areas daily, supplemented with up-to-date data. It can serve as an asset in distinguishing crop species from weeds. It can also identify nutrient deficiencies through advanced spectral signatures. Lastly, it can also be pivotal in forecasting pest infections on crops through its high-resolution images.

ENVIRONMENT:

Environmentally speaking, Pixxel can also be used to map and monitor forests. It can play an instrumental role in reversing deforestation. It can be used to calculate climate risks such as floods, famine and detect sinister materials to take timely measures to curtail them.

GOVERNMENT:

In context to the government aid, Pixxel can identify military resources and troop movement to aid them with relief measures. It can be used to keep vigilance on waterways, rail-road conditions at both regional and national levels. It can also detect unforeseen natural calamities for the government to take immediate relief measures.

MINING:

Pixxel can be a boon when it comes to mining. By providing quick and direct insights about the earth’s surface, it could help chart out accurate mineralogical information about inaccessible locations.

Examining Pixxel’s Reach and Influence

Pixxel’s influence so far has quite evidently reverberated throughout the nation and beyond. Since it aims to keep vigilance on the entire planet from space, it could be utilised for the greater good of any given country. It detects not only environmental and humane issues but also provides amicable solutions for them. Simply put, in comparison to any other satellite in orbit, Pixxel’s are more frequent, consistent and of higher quality. This is primarily due to the edge that Pixxel has over other satellites regarding targeted monitoring, localised problem detection and hyper optimised solutions.

In a 2019 interview at the ORF Kalpana Chawla Space Policy Dialogues, CEO and co-founder of Pixxel Awais Ahmed revealed that Pixxel had been working on the manufacturing of nanosatellites that would not exceed the size of a shoebox- a maximum of 16 kilograms. The lightweight quality of the Pixxel satellites is another massive advantage that the start-up has over its counterparts.

Reasons behind the Success

Awais Ahmed cited that there is no space policy as such in India, unlike that of the United States, which posed a significant hurdle for them. Secondly, he also expressed his concerns over a lack of investors in space tech start-ups in the Indian context instead of those of the UK, China, or the US. That being said, the BITS Pilani duo Ahmed and Khandelwal, despite coming across numerous obstacles, always kept their self-belief up by not letting doubts hover over their abilities.

The Pixxel crew has not held back even in the case of marketing and branding strategy. They have come up with an enticing website, to say the least, where even users alien to the subject of space technology can grasp an overall understanding with ease. On top of it, Pixxel has also deployed several media organisations to publish content regarding them- from the Times of India to the Economic Times, which helped them garner even greater heights of publicity. This has also led them to attract top notch investors.

CEO and co-founder of Pixxel, Awais Ahmed, revealed that Pixxel had been working upon the manufacturing of nanosatellites that would not exceed the size of a shoebox- a maximum of 16 kilograms.

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There are already plenty of other satellites revolving around the orbit. However, one aspect where the Pixxel satellites outshine their counterparts is providing in-depth insights about the blue planet.

How Pixxel’s Products Stand Out in the Spacetech Community

You might be wondering what makes Pixxel so unique despite there being several other private space tech companies in India. Pixxel is a space tech start-up that is the brainchild of two final year college students – that in itself is an inspiration for all the budding entrepreneurs out there. While providing hyperspectral images of the highest resolution available in the market speaks of their unmatched intelligence.

Although some might argue that there are already several private space tech companies in the country, indicating no need for other space tech start-ups, Pixxel possesses some outstanding features that make it stand out from the competition. Compared to other satellites, Pixxel’s satellites provide real-time sensing data at an unprecedented level of detail. With a 5M spatial resolution that personifies their class and over 300 brands of information richness, its devices also have a jaw dropping revisit frequency of 24 hours.

THE WAY FORWARD IN PIXXEL’S JOURNEY

It can undoubtedly be concluded that Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal have set an example for thousands of others to aspire to. As things stood in late 2020, Pixxel was on its way to launch its first-ever constellation of satellites named ‘Anand’ in 2021on the PSLV-C51 rocket.

However, it was announced just a week before its launch that Pixxel would not go ahead with it due to inevitable glitches in technicality noticed during testing. As per a top company official, it now plans to launch a constellation of 30 small earth observation satellites by 2022.

Besides their expertise in the space tech aspect, it was Ahmed and Khandelwal’s self-belief and ‘never say never’ attitude that paved the way for their success that is visible today to the entire world. With Pixxel, these two entrepreneurs have indeed marked their name in history books and will most likely continue to blaze a path of innovation in future.

–For more inspiring stories, read our Inspire section!

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Draft National Space Transportation Policy 2020 – Norms, Guidelines, and Procedures for Space Start-ups

Aakash Sharma — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 08:35:04 +0000

Draft National Space Transportation Policy-2020 is an integrated policy covering all aspects of the aerospace industry related to emerging companies in this area. The policy includes features that constitute rocket launches, launch pads, and space objects’ movement, among many others. Through this policy, the government has decided to allow private companies to build and operate rocket launchers within the country and abroad with the prior approval of the respective bodies.

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The government’s recently announced reforms to open up the country's space sector are encouraging entrepreneurs to invest in space.

Rules specified in the Draft National Space Transportation Policy

Authority of Indian National Space Promotion & Authorization Center (IN-SPACe)

As per the policy, any rocket launch by a private company (orbital or sub-orbital) can be undertaken with the Indian National Space Promotion & Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) permission, the independent body of the Government of India.

Multi-site private launches allowed

According to the Space Transportation Policy-2020, companies can launch from privately owned sites, rental sites, or mobile launch platforms, including land, sea, or air.

Financial security

Under the draft guidelines, the IN-SPACe license requires a financial guarantee or insurance from the sponsor to meet the country’s obligations under international agreements.

Foreign laws need to be followed

In the case of launching from outside the territory of India, all approvals necessary for undertaking the scope of activities in another nation or region shall be under the applicable laws of the concerned nation/territory.

Compliance and Approval Updates

As per the draft, the proposer company shall ensure the compliance and approvals of the administration controlling the launch territory. The company must attach the certificate of conformity/license to the request of support.

Under the draft directive, the approval process will ensure that launcher exchanges at the government level do not impede the timely implementation of approved spatial plans to promote social development or safeguard national sovereignty.

India’s ‘New Space’ of Entrepreneurship

A “new space” has emerged in India, where private aerospace companies seek to unlock the commercial potential of small satellite navigation services by developing small satellite carriers for the global market. Indian players involved in space vehicle development are looking forward to using national government facilities for the same.

Investments are also being made in affordable transmission systems. As the government announces new reforms towards opening the potential of India’s space sector, it is presumed to attract entrepreneurs to fund cost-effective and quick turn-around space transportation systems for the global commercial launch services market.

More start-ups have tried to develop an autonomous space navigation system in the country in recent years, furthering the industry’s goal of promoting entry into the global navigation services market. With the new guideline, start-ups and companies have a fluid, technological and traditional way to strengthen the private ecosystem. In the long run, it will bring advanced technologies, including proprietary derivatives, that will benefit the Indian economy.

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Spacetech Start-up AgniKul Aims to Make Space Affordable in India

Aakash Sharma — Sat, 26 Jun 2021 12:35:04 +0000

AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited is one of the leading aerospace manufacturers in India with the goals of developing and launching its own small-lift launch vehicle, namely Agnibaan, in 2022. This space technology start-up is based out of the National Centre for Combustion R&D (NCRD) in IIT Madras.

The company was founded by Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM within IIT Madras with an initial capital of Rs 3 crore to develop and launch its first rocket, followed by the ability to provide launch services for satellites weighing up to 500 kg. As of December 2020, the company had raised about $4 million in funding and it is now under the guidance of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

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AgniKul designs, manufactures, tests and launches orbital missiles for micro and nanosatellites. The start-up's team comprises a unique combination of scientists, engineers, former bankers and space lawyers.

Women Engineers and Scientists lead AgniKul’s Chief Projects

Engineering is at the heart of what AgniKul Cosmos does. Its teams are led by young women of proven scientific courage and enthusiasm. Uma Maheshwari, Saraniya P and Arushi Chaudhary of the AgniKul Cosmos team are the heads of the company’s ground testing and production team.

Uma Maheshwari single-handedly led Agnilet, the company’s first single-piece 3D-printed rocket engine firing. Saraniya P is the Vehicle Design Lead of Agnibaan. She leads vehicle design at AgniKul – coordinating operations across a highly diverse team base with conflicting needs. Arushi Chaudhary, the Agnibaan Avionics Systems Engineering Lead at AgniKul Cosmos, heads all the avionics systems engineering work at AgniKul.

AgniKul’s very own Launch vehicle – Agnibaan

Agnibaan, which means “arrow of fire”, is a mobile launch system that can lift payloads within a range from 100 km to 700 km. In the first phase, the rocket will be based on the payload of cluster engines in various facilities and use only liquid oxygen or kerosene engines. It is supposed to be manufactured by 3D printing to make the process steady and less costly.

Development of state-of-the-art Affordable Space Engines

In February 2021, AgniKul tested the semi-cryogenic rocket engine Agnilet, which will propel the second stage of the Agnibaan rocket in future. The machine has been developed in one piece using 3D printing with no assembled parts, making it a modern and cost-effective operation for start-ups in the aerospace technology category.

What’s in it for other space tech start-ups?

Several start-ups have grown up in the Indian aerospace and space tech sector, seeking the benefits of the growing global space domain. They have developed innovative technologies, products and services, but lack solid financial, regulatory and policy support.

In 2021, India’s start-up ecosystem for space technology witnessed mega policy support from the government and vast investor interest. After the Indian government opened up the sector to private players, investor interest increased and is expected to be successful.

Under the leadership of ISRO combined with efficient R&D, new space technology players can enter the industry and deliver economical, cost-effective and scientifically successful solutions to India’s space exploration journey.

From the development of local launch vehicles to the launch of India’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) service, from interstellar and reconnaissance missions to space exploration, the list of what lies ahead for start-ups to explore is extensive. Now there is excellent backing for new players to make it through the journey, successfully.

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This is What is Trending in the Indian Drone Start-up Space

Anju Nambiar — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 06:19:40 +0000

The Ministry of Civil Aviation in May 2021 approved experimental drone flight operations Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) for 20 start-ups and SMEs in the aerospace sector. The most notable entities in the list include BlueDart, Swiggy, Dunzo, and SpiceJet.

A conditional exemption was granted to them by MoCA from the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021 for conducting BVLOS experimental trials.

Dunzo’s ‘Medicine from the Sky Project’

Drone delivery of medicines is trending in the Indian Drone start-up space. This will be a big step towards emergency medical deliveries including Covid-19 vaccines during the pandemic. Case in point is Dunzo’s pilot programme called ‘Medicine from the Sky Project’. ‘Blue Dart Med-Express Consortium’ is also a part of this project.

Dunzo, a Bengaluru-based Hyperlocal delivery start-up will lead a mid-air consortium alongside industry experts to conduct experimental BVLOS (Below Visual Line of Sight) drone delivery flights for the healthcare supply chain. This programme is occurring in conjunction with the Government of Telangana, the World Economic Forum (WEF), Government Think-Tank Niti Ayog, and Health Net Global together with Dunzo Digital.

Garuda Aerospace delivering Food and Medicines.

Garuda Aerospace is a Chennai based ‘Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) start-up which designs, builds, and customises drones for multi-use applications. They are using their drones to deliver food and medicines. There were trials for drone-based delivery of medicines, vegetables, food, and for spraying disinfectants. The trials were successfully concluded with 3 of Garuda Aerospace’s ‘White Knight Drones’.

This project occurred in conjunction with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) for the delivery of items to quarantined houses of Covid-19 patients within ISRO’s residential employee housing colony.

UAV drones for Army Surveillance

IdeaForge is a Mumbai-based, IIT Alumni drone start-up which will supply fixed-wing UAV drones (high altitude variants of the SWITCH Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)) to the Indian Army. This has rekindled the trend of UAV drone start-ups in India since 2019. The order by the Indian Army to IdeaForge is valued at Rs. 145 Cr. The fixed wing UAVs can perform vertical take-off and landing, and are designed to weather high altitudes and harsh environments.

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A conditional exemption was granted to SMEs by Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) from the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021 for conducting BVLOS experimental drone trials.

What’s in it for me?

The Government promoting the growth of the Indian Drone Industry ever since the Ministry of Civil Aviation gave the go-ahead for ‘No-Permission-No-Take-off (NPNT) compliant drone operations up to 400 feet above ground level (AGL) in designated green zones without the need for Air Traffic Control (ATC) permission.

The government efforts are aimed at streamlining the fledgling drone industry in India. Drone start-ups need only register on the Digital Sky Online portal to fly remotely piloted unmanned aerial vehicles.

Most of the drone aerospace start-ups are working to fight the Covid-19 health crisis through delivery of medicines and vaccines to hospitals. There is immense scope of winning defence projects for drone start-ups as well as other governmental projects. There is also demand for surveillance drones from city police departments, for sanitisation drives, and mainly for delivery of essential items.

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Aerospace Manufacturing, the New Interest of Indian Start-Ups

Anju Nambiar — Thu, 27 May 2021 07:35:07 +0000

Although Aerospace start-ups started small in India, they are catching on with other industries rapidly and now seem to be skyrocketing. New start-ups are quickly making their entry and are even managing to raise funds and design rockets.

Noteworthy start-ups in Aerospace manufacturing

Agnikul Cosmos

Agnikul Cosmos is the talk of the town because the start-up recently raised INR 23.4 crores in a Pre-Series A funding round. A Chennai-based aerospace manufacturing start-up, Agnikul’s mission is to make rocket launches and space missions affordable in India. Agnikul is an IIT Madras incubated start-up which is currently working on a project to develop a satellite launch vehicle called ‘Agnibaan’ with payload capacity of 100 kilograms, powered by a semi cryogenic engine.

Skyroot Aerospace

Skyroot Aerospace is also getting the limelight for raising $11 M in a Series A funding round. A Hyderabad based start-up, Skyroot is working in tandem with Agnikul Cosmos to be the pioneering private space tech firm to build a commercial rocket that will launch satellites.

Pixxel

Another interesting space technology start-up, Pixxel is a Bengaluru based hyperspectral imaging firm founded in 2019. Pixxel aims to build a health monitor for Planet Earth by putting up a constellation of 30 cutting-edge, hyper spectral observation micro satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit. Pixxel has recently raised $7.3 M in funding.

Astrogate Labs Private Limited

An Aerospace and space technology start-up from Bengaluru, Astrogate Labs makes space infrastructure. They are working towards enabling high speed communications for small satellites through their laser communication solutions which are built to withstand the harsh conditions typically required of space applications.

Vestaspace Tech

Vestaspace Tech deserves a mention among leading space-tech start-ups in India. Headquartered in Pune, Vestaspace Tech bagged $10 M in funding recently. Vestaspace specializes in ‘small satellite platform’ building dedicated for commercial scientific applications.

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Why are start-ups venturing into the Aerospace sector? 5 noteworthy Indian start-ups that are innovating in space tech and raising funds.

Why are start-ups looking at Aerospace as a business?

There are several governmental support initiatives that have piqued the interest of start-ups towards the Aerospace business. They are all aimed at making it profitable to enter the space domain. Last year, the Union Cabinet approved the formation of ISRO’s new arm called New Space India Limited (NSIL) to harbor companies undertaking space activities. Private players can now access ISRO’s infrastructure, technical resources, and data.

ISRO has also launched an exclusive space start-up program called SEED (Space Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development) for MSME’s venturing into aerospace. Several other moves like the setup of 3 incubation centers by the Department of Space (DoS) at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), the ARISE program by DoS for supporting applied research and innovation for MSMEs are open invitations for start-ups looking at Aerospace as a business.

Start-ups planning to enter the Aerospace sector will benefit from these initiatives through access to ISRO’s valuable resources. You will also be able to tap into the true business potential of developing space products and services. It’s also an opportunity to step into the industry as a partner to ISRO.

F.A.Q.

what is aerospace?

Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astronautics.

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Government Programmes and Schemes for Indian Space Start-ups

Aakash Sharma — Wed, 26 May 2021 05:35:04 +0000

India’s new space policy enhancements could offer exciting opportunities for space tech entrepreneurs and private space companies. Spacetech stakeholders and industry experts agree that access to government resources for private space projects will bolster the Indian space start-ups and reduce their dependence on imports.

It has been more than 50 years that the Department of Space, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre have been leading Indian space programmes. To date, the ISRO alone has conducted a majority of India’s space-related activities.

But, with changing policy, private sector intervention will not be limited to the production of components anymore. The collaboration with the space agency ISRO will offer entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises opportunities to develop products and conduct indigenous space missions.

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India's space economy is $7 billion, or 2% of the world space economy. The Indian aerospace industry is expected to grow at an average annual growth rate of 48% over the next five years to become $50 billion.

Indian Space Start-ups working with the Government and ISRO

Satellize

Satellize is the first private company in India to have a satellite in space. In December 2018, the company launched its first satellite into space via SpaceX. It launched its second AISAT satellite for Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation India onboard the fourth stage of the ISRO’s PSLV-C45.

Agnikul Cosmos

Agnikul Cosmos is a high-tech and low-cost space satellite navigation vehicle producer. The start-up has signed a nondisclosure agreement with the Department of Space (DoS) under the newly proposed IN-SPACe entity.

Pixxel

Shortly after the announcement of space reforms by the Indian government, the Bangalore-based space start-up Pixxel got contracted by the New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO. It plans to thrust the country’s first private remote sensing satellite on an ISRO PSLV rocket.

Skyroot Aerospace

Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace is developing a technology to provide adequate, reliable and cost-effective space access. The start-up is a vital rocket company that ISRO is helping with test facilities and know-how for their launch vehicles.

Bellatrix Aerospace

This start-up specialises in electric propulsion systems, rocket engines and launchers. It also signed a technological development agreement with ISRO on space electrical systems.

Greater Government Support for Indian Space Start-ups

Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe)

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) is an autonomous extension of ISRO that enables the private sector to conduct space-related activities. IN-SPACe assesses the needs and requirements of private sector stakeholders, including education and research institutions and consults with ISRO to find ways to meet these needs.

New Space India Limited (NSIL)

New Space India Limited (NSIL) is a public corporation of the Indian government and ISRO. NSIL’s primary goal is to increase private industry involvement in India’s space programme. NSIL is set up to ensure the transfer of Small Satellite technology to industry; it will obtain a license from DoS/ISRO and sub-license the same to industry.

ISRO’s Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) for Space Education and Technology

ISRO has made national use of Atal Tinkering Labs in space education and technology a priority. ISRO is designing space education and space technology as an extracurricular activity for the schools to utilise ATLs, which will endorse the Ministry of Education to instil space entrepreneurship curiosity from a young level.

Draft Spacecom Policy 2020

Department of Space’s Draft Spacecom Policy 2020 aims to meet the country’s growing demand for space communications. In this process, the Government of India will emphasise the ease of doing business and encourage implementing the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative that promotes healthy competition in the development of the national economy.

Why Should an Aspiring Entrepreneur Start a Space Start-up?

In 2018, ISRO announced its intention to launch incubators across India to support the roll-out of space technology start-ups. Such programmes working with start-ups that build newer solutions in rocketry, communication satellites and applications based on remote sensing data are also a growing incentive for new players.

With a range of government aid pouring in for the space industry, this sector is a gold mine for new entrepreneurs to start their business in. As the government rolls out initiatives such as a new launch vehicle policy and a space exploration policy, start-ups can seize the opportunity by using public resources and churn out their own model ideas.

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Government Liberalises Mapping Laws To Benefit Start-Ups And Small Business In India

Naina Sood — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:35:04 +0000

Promoting ‘self-reliance’, the central government has liberalised policies for mapping and geospatial data. New guidelines were released on February 15, 2020 for the geo-spatial sector in India, which deregulates existing protocol and liberalises the sector to a more competitive field. The move will set a major plot for start-ups and small businesses to take part, earn a profit and innovate as they will no longer be subjected to restrictions on collecting, processing, disseminating, storing and publishing geospatial data and maps.

How liberalisation of geospatial data laws will affect start-ups

Bottleneck removed

From weather apps to food delivery or ecommerce, there has been an increase in use of geospatial data in the past decade. However, there were significant restrictions on creation and dissemination of maps, requiring Indian companies to seek licenses, follow a cumbersome system of pre-approvals and permissions. The move would allow start-ups, especially in ecommerce and other consumer-facing technology sectors, to conduct surveys and mapping, build their own maps and improve location based services without any restriction or prior government approval. Indian start-ups will also be self certified to get access to geospatial data.

Pave way for innovation

No permits will be required to make the next-generation hyper resolution maps of India. Start-ups have been subjected to unnecessary red tape with regulatory restrictions in the sector, hindering innovation in map technologies for decades. However, with new laws, the barrier has been removed which will pave the way for innovation. For instance, if start-ups tie-up with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and others, they will get access to a huge database and technology on a continuous basis and India will have its own company that will have these maps and won’t have to depend on Google Maps.

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The move will set a major plot for start-ups and small businesses to take part, earn a profit and innovate as they will no longer be subjected to restrictions.

Partnerships: Opportunity for data collection start-ups

The decision to open up the mapping sector will pave way for more public-private partnerships with data collection start-ups working with the Indian government on various sectoral projects. Companies have been partnering with start-ups to resolve technology issues. In the geospatial sector, this is the need of the government. In this way, we can get rid of the Google Maps system. It would help the government in inhospitable terrains where it wants to make roads, towers, and other infrastructure based on local innovation. So, start-ups can get the entire technology at the bottom of the system by which the government can do mapping in different areas.

Investments in geospatial space

The government expects an increase in investment in the geospatial sector by companies, and also an increase in export of data to foreign companies and countries, which in turn will provide opportunities for India start-ups besides boosting the economy.

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Space Start-Ups in India And What Are They Building

Aakash Sharma — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 00:35:03 +0000

With a positive outlook and a commercial manoeuvre, it looks like the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is becoming a facilitator. The space agency is looking towards the private sector to play a more prominent role in space technology. Despite the economic gut punch thrown by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021-22 budget did not slash the space sector’s funding; instead it gave the sector a 3.48% increase.

The funds of New Space India Limited, the ISRO’s commercial arm, have increased by 138 times. The government aims to generate revenue from the intellectual property of ISRO and add it as a crucial sector of the Indian economy.

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The global space economy is set at $360 billion, of which India's space industry currently accounts for about 2% at $7 billion.

ISRO Working Closely with Space Start-ups

To consolidate India’s potential in the aerospace industry, the government is now turning to start-ups. As ISRO is indulging with several start-ups, agencies within the Ministry of Science and Technology, namely the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), are also working towards the same goal of promoting start-ups. The two agencies are setting up an innovation incubator with external private funding to help develop new aerospace businesses.

The government will control, incubate and help guide start-ups develop their products and services about space tech. And the collaboration further will help create employment opportunities for young people. This move will undoubtedly strengthen the Aatmanirbhar Bharat programme which is the government’s flagship growth model for this decade.

Who Are the Space Players in India?

Indian start-up Agnikul Cosmos is the world’s first company to test a fully 3D printed rocket motor. Agnikul was the first Indian start-up to enter into a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the Department of Space (DOS) and the recently established Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to conduct joint space research and programmes.

The Hyderabad-based space start-up Skyroot Aerospace was founded in 2018 by former ISRO scientists to build space launch vehicles. Skyroot and ISRO are working together to develop a fixed-launch rocket that can be used to launch satellites into a lower orbit and create a private space ecosystem. Skyroot has signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Space Ministry to access ISRO facilities and technical expertise to build the rocket.

Bellatrix Aerospace is a private space company in India and was launched in 2015. The company plans to launch rockets and satellites for domestic and global markets. It has signed a memorandum of understanding with ISRO to promote India’s space engineering efforts. According to the contract, the Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) developed by Bellatrix will be used on the Vikram launcher’s upper tiers developed by Skyroot. An OTV is a spacecraft that can carry loads in a specific orbit so that the launcher can transmit satellites into orbit.

Pixxel is another space technology start-up that aims to place 30 Earth observation microsatellite constellations in the solar synchronous orbit. ISRO plans to launch the first Brazilian satellite, Amazonia-1, and three Indian payloads, including Pixxel’s first satellite- Anand, on February 28, 2021.

Utilising Potential

To increase the country’s space sector potential, the government’s landmark decision to allow the private sector to use ISRO facilities and other related assets for enhancing their capabilities is undoubtedly going to pay manifold in future. In setting up the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), the government is setting a level playing field for private companies using India’s space infrastructure. This will strengthen ISRO’s commitment to start-ups and grow the space and technology industry as a critical economic domain.

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