Govt supporting 135 firms in critical space component manufacturing

India’s IN-SPACe agency is supporting 65 startsups in the development of critical components in the space sector.

New Delhi | Updated: 09 February, 2023 5:24 pm IST

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The Central government extended financial support to 135 private entities, including 65 startups engaged in manufacturing critical space equipment, it told parliament on Thursday.

In a written reply to a question by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Thakor Jugal Lokhandwala, minister of state (MoS) for the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh also listed the steps being taken by the government to reduce import dependency in the space sector.

In his response, Singh said that the government’s Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) is supporting 15 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), 19 units from academia, and 36 units from industries.

He said that the help was extended based on their applications.

IN-SPACe is supporting these non-government space entities in the areas of satellites, launch vehicles, ground segment, space applications, and space promotional activities, it said.

In his reply, the minister said that the Centre has taken many steps to decrease import dependence for critical space technology components.

“The department is pursuing the development of critical technologies such as travelling wave tube amplifiers (TWTA), atomic clock, electronics packaging technology, sensors and ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), he said.

The government also informed that India has successfully developed and commercialised space-grade Lithium-ion batteries.

Apart from this, action has also been initiated in collaboration with public sector defence manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) and Hyderabad-based government metal company Mishra Dhatu Nigam (Midhani) for establishing a carbon fibre production plant in India.

It also said that Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) publishes and updates in real-time a list of components needed to be imported so that Indian companies manufacturing those components can approach the agency.

“The imported items are published in the Procurement Live Register (PLR) portal of the ISRO website to invite Expression of Interest (EoI) from Indian Industries for indigenous development,” said the Centre.