New Delhi: The Indian government announced the opening of the space sector to private players in May 2020. Skyroot Aerospace co-founder and CEO Pawan Chandana believes this was the most revolutionary step in the sector since Vikram Sarabhai founded the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969.
In a ThePrint Off The Cuff interview earlier this month, Chandana talked about why the government’s decision to open up space sector to private players comes at a pivotal moment in India’s scientific history. He says that ISRO has built an ecosytem over the last 60 years.
“ISRO has done a fantastic job. We have thousands of suppliers capable of building high-precision parts that can go into rockets and into space,” he adds. From launchpads to space infrstructure, ISRO has created “everything”.
Excited about India’s future in the space, the Skyroot CEO says, “The government thought, why don’t we open up the sector to private players and let private investment come in? And can you believe that, in just the last three to four years, we have had almost 600 million dollars in investment flow into the sector?”
Chandana said that the move had created a major boost for the industry, with more than 400 startups emerging and 5,000-6,000 high-tech jobs being created in the last three to four years. He said space was also strategically important for India’s global ambitions in deep tech, which he described as critical to shaping the future of countries.
With space poised to play a role in building future civilisations, he said, the sector could become as transformative as steel had been in building modern civilisations.
Lauding the policy, he said the sector was still in its initial phase, with plenty more to look forward to. “I think the fruits are just beginning to show.”
WATCH THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE:
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