Sansad TV Perspective: Indian Space Policy 2023

In the series Sansad TV Perspective, we bring you an analysis of the discussion featured on the insightful programme ‘Perspective’ on Sansad TV, on various important topics affecting India and also the world. This analysis will help you immensely for the IAS exam, especially the mains exam, where a well-rounded understanding of topics is a prerequisite for writing answers that fetch good marks.

In this article, we feature the discussion on the topic: ‘Indian Space Policy 2023’.

Anchor: Vishal Dahiya

Participants: 

• Group Captain Ajey Lele (Retd.), Consultant, MP-IDSA
• Ratan Srivastava, Independent Consultant on Aerospace
• Pavitra Goel, Head, Marketing & Strategy, Lohia Aerospace & Defence

Context: The government has approved the Space Policy, 2023. 

Stats related to the space industry: 

• The Indian space market is worth $7 billion, which is just about 2% of the global space market.
• The Indian Space Policy (ISP) 2023 seeks to regulate and boost private sector participation in the space sector. The ISP also looks to increase investments in the space sector from private companies.

Details: 

• The Indian Space Policy 2023 has been formulated to augment space capabilities; 
  • Enable, encourage and develop a flourishing commercial presence in space; 
  • Use space as a driver of technology development and derived benefits in allied areas; pursue international relations, and create an ecosystem for effective implementation of space applications among all stakeholders. 
• Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) shall be allowed to undertake end-to-end activities in the space sector through the establishment and operation of space objects, ground-based assets and related services, such as communication, remote sensing, navigation, etc. 
  • Offer national and international space-based communication services, through self-owned or procured or leased GSO/NGSO communication satellites.
  • Use Indian Orbital Resources and/or Non-Indian Orbital Resources to establish space objects for communication services over India and outside India.
  • Private entities have also been encouraged to develop space situational awareness capabilities, a mechanism to track objects in space and avoid collision of satellites and space stations with each other or space debris.
• The policy aims to create space-based resources and services, and also promote research and development along with education in the space sector. 
• The government’s commercial arm, New Space India Ltd, has been asked to commercialise technologies and platforms created by government entities, manufacture, lease, or buy space technologies or assets, and provide space-based services to government as well as private entities.

IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion & Authorisation Centre):

• IN-SPACe shall function as an autonomous government organisation, mandated to promote, hand-hold, guide and authorise space activities in the country. For this purpose, IN-SPACe shall periodically issue guidelines and procedures.
• IN-SPACe shall act as the single window agency for the authorisation of space activities by government entities as well as NGEs.
  • IN-SPACe shall promote industry clusters/zones/manufacturing hubs/incubation centres/accelerators/technical centres, etc., for the space sector
  • Work with industry both national and overseas to promote identified space activities and establish India as a preferred service provider for global requirements of products/services in the space sector
  • Identify technologies developed by ISRO that are ready for transfer to NGEs and facilitate the transfer of such technologies
    
• NewSpace India Limited as the Public Sector Undertaking
  • Responsible for commercialising space technologies and platforms created through public expenditure.
  • Manufacture, lease, or procure space components, technologies, platforms and other assets from the private or public sector, on sound commercial principles. 
  • Service the space-based needs of users, whether government entities or NGEs, on sound commercial principles.

Read more about New Space India Limited in the linked article.

Image: Features of the Space Policy

Source: Times of India

 Advantages of the new policy: 

• It will help in attracting many private agencies in these sectors and raise their participation. 
  • The Vikram-S rocket, India’s first private rocket released by Skyroot space agency. 
  • The current policy would enable India to gain a strategic advantage in the field of space technologies which is emerging as a new area of economic activity. 
  • It will also enable India to provide safeguards to its space-based assets and protect them against any harmful attack. 
  • The new policy also provides a thrust in the field of generating white-collar employment opportunities for our population. 
  • Enhanced opportunities in this field and a rise in investment would prevent a brain drain from our country. 
  • It will also lead to a rise in investment in the field of research and development and thus pave the way for the emergence of new technologies. 

The new policy opens up a gate for many opportunities in the space sector. The government now should encourage the participation of all the stakeholders in order to materialise the full advantage of this policy. 

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