26 Co.s/Startups Approached ISRO Seeking Technical Guidance and Facility Sharing for Space Activity

 

ISRO PSLV-C50 | Image - isro.gov.in

Twenty-six companies/startups have approached Indian space agency ISRO seeking technical guidance and facility sharing for their space activity,said Dr.Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today, the Minister said that Government has developed and operationalized the NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) - an independent Indian satellite-based navigation system to provide PNT (Position, Navigation and Time) service to users over Indian region and region extending to about 1500km around India.

On the issue of whether Indian telecom service providers or manufacturers have started using this home built GPS system, DrJitendra Singh informed that Major mobile chipset manufacturers (Qualcomm, Mediatek) have released NavIC enabled mobile processors. Using these processors, mobile handsets with NavIC capability have been released in the Indian market. Also, Government has been successful in incorporating NavIC as part of international telecom specifications for telecom service providers.

ISRO sees startups as its new age industry partners -- one that would propel India in fulfilling its space dreams. The department has initiated steps to boost start-up participation in space activities.

In May last year,  government announced that it will allow private firms and startups to use the infrastructure and facilities of ISRO to build satellites and rockets, besides formalizing a national geo-spatial policy to allow local entrepreneurs to use remote sensing data of the country's satellites and build applications for areas such as agriculture.

ISRO has over a dozen facilities that designs and develops communication and earth observation satellites and rockets that can carry upto six tonnes of payload into space. It has planned over sixty missions over the next five years, which includes sending a man to space, attempt a moon landing second time, besides deep space missions to mars and venus.