India Launches Space Association In Effort To Open Sector To Private Companies

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the Indian Space Association (ISpA) in a bid to bring together stakeholders in the national space domain and open space exploration to the private sector

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th October, 2021) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the Indian Space Association (ISpA) in a bid to bring together stakeholders in the national space domain and open space exploration to the private sector.

"Today, the government shares its experience and provides launch sites to the private sector. Indian Space Research Organization facilities are opening for the private sector today," Modi said during the launching ceremony via a video link.

The association is meant to be "the collective voice of the Indian Space industry," undertake policy advocacy and engage with all stakeholders in the space domain.

according to the government. The goal is to make India "self-reliant, technologically advanced and a leading player in the space arena."

ISpA brings together home-grown and global corporations with advanced capabilities in space and satellite technology. It embraces OneWeb, Bharti Airtel, Mapmyindia, Walchandnagar Industries, Ananth Technology Limited, Godrej, Hughes India, Azista-BST Aerospace Private Limited, BEL, Centum Electronics, and Maxar India.

In May 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that India would attract private funding for space launches.