The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has introduced an Expression of Interest (EoI) for establishing a space-based Earth Observation (EO) system through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
This initiative aims to reduce the dependence on foreign Earth Observation Data and to strengthen India’s Space Economy.
Self-Reliant EO Ecosystem
Currently, space-based EO data has important applications in various Indian sectors that include national programs, infrastructure, disaster management, business and consumer services etc. These services at the moment rely on a combination of local and foreign satellite data obtained from optical and microwave sensors.
Most of these data are sourced from ISRO or multiple foreign satellites.
The goal of this public-private partnership model is to empower non-governmental entities to indigenously build, operate and thereby own the entire spaced EO system which includes both the space and ground segments. This helps with less foreign dependency and also opens up a market for the NGEs to monetize space data and services.
Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, emphasizes this initiative being a major boost for a sustainable Earth Observation System in India. He said, “This is an initiative by IN-SPACe & ISRO towards creating a self-reliant, robust, and sustainable Earth Observation System catering to the growing demand for EO data,”
The advanced imaging technology employed in the satellite constellation will unlock substantial downstream commercial opportunities, resulting in more competitive products, he added.
Ankit Bhateja, Founder & Director, Xovian Aerospace agrees saying, ” This move will significantly help in boosting the Indian space economy by encouraging the private companies to participate and lead the innovation and growth efforts for the sector. This will also encourage more collaborations within the industry & academia ecosystem which will further help in bringing fresh perspectives, innovative technologies, and diverse approaches to satellite design and operations.”
Empowering Indian Space Companies
The companies selected under this initiative will be entrusted with the end-to-end management of the EO system including the design, construction and operation of satellites and data monetization.
The companies will also be responsible for establishing or utilizing ground stations for spacecraft control and data dissemination. Monetizing this space data helps these companies with increasing their presence in the geospatial market globally.
These entities can constitute of a single company or a consortium of multiple companies (maximum up to 4) that should have a minimum experience of one year in manufacturing in the space sector or satellite data operations in India.
To be a part of this initiative, the company or the consortium has to have raised or invested at least 85 crore rupees in space-related activities a valuation of 850 crores or a turnover of 200 crores in the last three years.
Finally, the company has to have its spacecraft control centre (SCC) in India or hire the ground stations from GSaaS (Ground segment as a service) providers.
