BENGALURU: Just a few weeks after deciding to open the space sector, the Department of Space (DoS) has proposed allowing private Indian companies to not only use the space assets for communication services, but also to develop new systems, launch satellites and sell services to foreign clients under their Spacecom Policy-2020.
Companies will be allowed to set up control centers outside India and use space assets abroad, says a draft of the policy, which will replace the existing Satcom Policy. “The (new) policy will have everything that the Satcom Policy has in terms of protecting our assets, creating new assets, monitoring and operations. The main changes are to encourage the private sector and renew the focus on enhancing national security capabilities, ”K Sivan, DoS secretary, told TOI.
The policy provides measures to monitor and authorize the use of space assets for communications to or from Indian territory.
The policy also lists steps to bring more assets under India’s control to improve the ability to use space-based communications for national needs. “This is the first step. Soon we will have specific policies on launch vehicles, navigation, remote sensing, space exploration, manned space flight and a national space policy. These will push India to the next level,” Sivan said.
The draft says: “They can establish telemetry, track and command ground stations and a satellite control center inside or outside India. They can offer business and social communications capability inside and outside of India. They can also supply their systems and solutions to international markets ”.
Companies can take advantage of Indian and non-Indian orbital resources to establish service systems within and outside of India. Indian resources can be used by designated entities under the space department on a commercial basis, while foreign resources can be used according to the new rules. Commenting on the draft policy, Tanveer Ahmed, CTO of space technology firm Digantara, said: “It is a positive move that clears regulatory concerns and increases investor confidence. We look forward to a quick, paperless application process. ”
Rohan M Ganapathy, director of Bellatrix, said the industry has a responsibility to accelerate the introduction of new technologies, while Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder of Agnikul Cosmos, said the firm expects a boom in small satellite launches. The draft adds that satellite communication systems that cannot be addressed in a commercial domain open to all will need to be put into operation with government participation for sustainability.
Satellite communications programs focused on social development (tribal development, social empowerment, health, education, and disaster management) will remain under the domain of the space department.
“Such programs exist to address specific goals and may not be commercially viable in nature,” the draft says. In another development, the space department last week signed an agreement with space PSU NewSpace India Limited, allowing the latter to further encourage the private sector. The MoU, Isro he said, “it will allow NSIL to transfer technologies to private industry.”
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