Business

Launched: A New BPO

India's space tech is propelled to an elite orbit with its launch of a foreign satellite

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Launched: A New BPO
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An Agile Leap
Here's why isro's first successful commercial launch of an Italian satellite is significant:
  • India joins the select club of US, Germany, China, France, Russia, Japan in the global commercial launch market
  • It can work towards cornering a reasonable slice of the $1.5-billion global launch market
  • The big bucks will come in once advanced GSLV versions get operational, and are put to commercial use
  • Commercial success makes ISRO more self-reliant, expand its activities

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ISRO’s Madhavan Nair with Italian Space Agency chief Giovanni Bignami after the launch of Agile, left

Antrix's business is expected to grow further and faster as ISRO has bilateral cooperation with over two dozen countries, including major space-faring nations. In recent years, big corporations are also looking at India to outsource space technology products. But apparently, the big bucks are expected to come only when ISRO can launch heavy commercial communication satellites weighing about two tonnes. That would become a reality when advanced versions of theGSLV become operational and are put to commercial use. But for now, Antrix officials say they would concentrate on small scientific satellites of up to 600 kg.

Space technology is a sensitive area, so there are many political and legal hurdles before Antrix. Like the US export-import control laws, which restrain keyNATO allies from outsourcing. But Antrix officials are optimistic. Says its executive director K.R. Sridhara Murthy: "India and US are committed to grow civil space cooperation. Already we are into new cooperation with NASA—like India agreeing to include two US instruments on board its first mission to the moon."

Its first big commercial success has made it very confident, but will ISRO now be less dependent on government funding? Not exactly, says Murthy. "While the commercial component of the Indian space programme could grow, the investment in new technologies and non-commercial space activities such as scientific exploration and socially relevant programmes will have to depend on government funding," he notes. The international community still views government investment into space programme in India as highly cost-effective. The annual space budget of India, incidentally, is only about 3 to 5 per cent of the allocation that NASA receives.

But more than budgetary limitations, ISRO's bigger challenge lies in attracting and retaining young talent. Perhaps, bigger commercial successes will help ISRO provide better pay packages for its scientists and technical staff. And that could well be the key to reversing the tech talent drain to the IT industry.

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