New Delhi : The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved big reforms in the Space sector aimed at boosting private sector participation in the entire range of space activities. Announcing the decision, Union minister Jitendra Singh said,“This will unlock India’s potential in space sector.”
Singh also said that the newly created Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre(IN-SPACe) will provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure. It will also hand-hold, promote and guide the private industries in space activities.
The union cabinet has decided to bring these reforms as it will allow ISRO room to focus more on research and development activities, new technologies, exploration missions,and human spaceflight programme. The declaration by the cabinet also stated that private players can also be brought in to participate in some of the planetary exploration missions through ‘announcement of opportunity’ mechanism.
“These reforms will allow ISRO to focus more on research and development activities, new technologies, exploration missions and human spaceflight programme. Some of the planetary exploration missions will also be opened up to private sector through an ‘announcement of opportunity’ mechanism,” PMO said in a statement.
Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar has said “India has built up a lot of good space assets, these will be opened up to all…Today, in a landmark decision, India has opened its assets to use by Indians. It will be a government company but more people will have access to it.” The landmark decision taken by the Modi cabinet has come in the backdrop of the announcements made by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last month where she had declared that the government will allow private players to participate and share the ISRO’s assets.
