New Delhi, The famous American newspaper New York Times has praised India’s space programs in two words. Along with this, the newspaper has also praised PM Modi heavily. The New York Times has written that there are currently around 140 registered spacetech startups in India. New York Times on Modi and India’s Space Technology
These start-ups are signaling that India can make a big difference in this sector. India may soon rival China in space programme. The New York Times wrote that when India first launched its rocket in 1963, it was the world’s poorest country pursuing the most advanced technology. The rocket part was then wheeled to the launch pad and successfully placed in space 124 miles above Earth.
The newspaper further writes that, this was the time when India was trying to strike a balance between Russia and America. India has gained a lot of strength in today’s space race. In an article titled The Surprising Striver in the World’s Space Business, the newspaper said that the growth of startups in India has been explosive and they have a huge market.
The newspaper praised India and wrote that before Corona, there were barely 5 startups in the space tech sector in India. Today, surprisingly, its number has touched 140. NYT has written that PM Modi and Biden met recently. It called for increased commercial cooperation between the American and Indian private sectors. Meanwhile, cooperation between the two countries to reach all areas of space was also discussed.
ISRO made the country proud in the first 3 decades. There was a time in the 90s when India shifted its focus from the space sector. But after PM Modi’s announcement to emphasize on space sector in June 2020, space business in India has changed now. After June 2020, the space sector was opened to all types of private enterprises.
Space technology is now driven more by private enterprise and serves small-scale commercial purposes than huge government budgets, writes the American newspaper.
It is surprising that its use has increased in many areas in India. Imaging systems transmit information about the planet back to Earth, helping India’s farmers insure their crops or help their fishermen catch fish. Satellites bring phone signals to remote corners of the country and help solar farms operate far from India’s megacities. Last year, space start-ups raised €120 million in new investments, the newspaper writes.
Which is much more than expected. Engineers have halved the cost of insurance for satellites, with a success rate of about 95 percent. This is the reason why India has become one of the most competitive launching sites in the world. The NYT article also mentions Hyderabad-based ‘Skyroot Aerospace’ and aerospace manufacturer ‘Dhruv Space’. Dhruv Space is the first space start-up in India to launch a satellite project. These companies are doing amazing work.
Together, the two companies contribute 8 percent to India’s space business. It also mentions Bengaluru-based start-up Pixel, which has made connections with an intelligence agency working with the Pentagon”. Its co-founders are Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal.
ISRO has created around 400 private companies in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and other places. Each company is an expert in its own field. It manufactures space-specific screws, sealants and other products. Cheap and good engineers are abundant in India, the newspaper said.
But their low pay alone can’t beat the competition. Due to this, Indian companies like Giacom are focusing more on special services. Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO of Sky Route Aerospace, has estimated the global need to launch 30,000 satellites this decade.
We are like a cab, they say, charging more for a smaller payload. While Elon Musk’s SpaceX works as a train or bus. They pick up all their passengers and take them to their destination.SS1MS