Cabinet Approves Indian Space Policy 2023, Agrees To Include Private Sector To Boost Development

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the Indian Space Policy, 2023 under which roles and responsibilities of organisations such as ISRO, NewSpace India Limited and private sector entities have been laid down.

The Indian Space Policy was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

All about the Space Policy 2023

The policy includes the provision of opening up the space sector for the private sector to help boost development of the segment. This would enable the ISRO to channelise its focus on research and development of advanced space technologies.

The policy also delineated the roles and responsibilities of ISRO, space sector PSU NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe).

"In brief, it will offer clarity in the role of the components set up (in the recent past)," Union minister Jitendra Singh told reporters.

According to Singh. the policy is designed to enhance the role of Department of Space, boost activities of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) missions and give a larger participation of research, academia, startups and industry.

Singh said the policy will allow the private sector to take part in end-to-end space activities that include building satellites, rockets and launch vehicles, data collection and dissemination.

The union minister also said strategic activities related to the space sector will be carried out by NSIL, a public sector undertaking under the Department of Space, which will work in a demand-driven mode.

What did ISRO say?

ISRO Chairman S Somanath told reporters that the focus of the Space Policy would be to increase the participation of the private players in the space sector.

The INSPACe, created recently, will be the interface between Indian Space Research Organisation and non-governmental entities, said Somanath.

The ISRO chairman said the policy also spells out the framework for the private sector to use ISRO facilities for a small charge and also encourages them to invest in creating new infrastructure for the sector.

He said ISRO will not do any operational and production work for the space sector and focus its energies on developing new technologies, new systems and research and development.

"This is a historic moment as the cabinet today approved the Indian Space Policy 2023. It will pave the way forward with much-required clarity in space reforms and augment private industry participation to drive the space economy opportunity for the country,” said Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (retd.), Director General, Indian Space Association.

“We have been waiting for it for quite some time, and today's announcement has come as a pleasant surprise. We keenly await and look forward to going through the details of the policy. We would like to thank the prime minister for his visionary leadership with a special focus on long-due reforms in the Indian space sector," he added.

(With PTI Inputs)