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In Context
- Recently, the government is seen making efforts to increase private sector participation in the space industry.
More about the news
- The Indian government would soon come up with a new space policy that could initiate the rise of India’s own “SpaceX-like ventures”.
- SpaceX is Elon Musk’s private space transportation company.
Significance of the Space industry
- Assessing & recording weather information:
- Satellites provide more accurate information on weather forecasts.
- It can also assess (and record) long-term trends in the climate and habitability of a region.
- For example, by monitoring the long-term impact of climate change at regional, territorial, and national scales, governments would be able to devise more pragmatic and combative plans of action for farmers and dependent industries.
- Real-time tracking :
- Satellites can serve as real-time monitoring and early-warning solutions against natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, wildfires, mining etc.
- Real-time tracking can also serve multiple purposes in defence.
- Communication and connectivity:
- As for connectivity, satellite communication can reach more remote areas where conventional networks would require heavy complimenting infrastructure.
- Additionally, as to the reliability, the World Economic Forum(WEF) stated that satellite communication can help connect 49% of the world’s unconnected population.
- In this light, it must be noted that satellite communications, which are used to facilitate telecommunication services, are among the major categories for investment in the space technology sector.
- Other prominent categories include spacecraft and equipment manufacturing.
- Benefits to other sectors:
- The space avenue is an integration of the aerospace, IT hardware and telecom sectors.
- It is thus argued that investment in this arena would foster positive carryover effects to other sectors as well.
Space Economy
India’s share in Space Industry
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Regulation of the Private sector in the Space industry in India
- National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe):
- About:
- It is an autonomous and single window nodal agency in the Department of Space for the promotion, encouragement and regulation of space activities of both government and private entities.
- Mandate and responsibilities:
- It is mandated the task of promoting, authorising and licensing private players to carry out space activities.
- It is responsible for devising mechanisms to offer sharing of technology, expertise facilities free of cost (if feasible) to promote non-government private entities (NGPEs).
- IN-SPACe’s Monitoring and Promotion Directorate:
- It oversees NGPE’s activities as per prescribed regulations and reports back in case any corrective actions or resolutions are required.
- ISRO facilities:
- ISRO shares its expertise in matters pertaining to quality and reliability protocols, documentation and testing procedure through IN-SPACe’s ‘interface mechanism’.
- It also facilitates the usage of ISRO facilities by private entities.
- About:
- NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL):
- It is mandated to transfer the matured technologies developed by the ISRO to Indian industries.
- All of them are under the purview of the Ministry of Defence.
Challenges
- Monopolisation:
- Space technology is expensive and needs heavy investment.
- This kind of lucrative power is available only with selected rich corporates, thus can lead to monopolisation of the sector.
- Favouring the private sector:
- Also, IN-SPACe’s role has been defined as a government regulator, ‘to provide a level-playing field’ for everyone.
- However, in the past, this has resulted in the governments favouring the private sector over the public sector or leaning towards specific private brands.
- Backseat for social development:
- ISRO, since its inception, has always aimed to work on projects that can help India become self-reliant.
- The space program always worked on applications like remote sensing, tracking of land use, resource mapping, among others.
- However, private companies will have more profitable interests than developing solutions that cater to the immediate socio-economic needs of the country.
Way ahead
- Private sector’s involvement in the long term, as with other commercial sectors, is believed to help spur investment and expertise in the realm which is capital-intensive and demands high technology.
- Since private space activities will significantly increase if the policy is accepted, India needs to develop a robust legislative framework for space to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth.
Source: TH
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