Now Reading: IN-SPACe seeks private partner to run Rs 986 crore spaceport
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IN-SPACe seeks private partner to run Rs 986 crore spaceport
IN-SPACe has invited private firms to operate and manage the Rs 986 crore Small Satellite Launch Complex (SLC) being built by Isro at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu. The space regulator issued an…
The Story in Brief
IN-SPACe has invited private firms to operate and manage the Rs 986 crore Small Satellite Launch Complex (SLC) being built by Isro at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu. The space regulator issued an expression of interest (EoI) for eligible Indian entities to handle end-to-end operations including launch campaigns, maintenance, safety, and coordination with Isro and customers.
Isro will provide technical guidance and handholding for up to three launches or one year, whichever is earlier. The site, India's second spaceport, allows small rockets to fly directly south over the Indian Ocean without dog-leg manoeuvres, improving payload capacity. The move follows IN-SPACe's earlier privatisation steps, including technology transfer of PSLV and LVM-3 rockets.
The Indian Opinion
This is smart timing: hand over routine operations to industry while Isro focuses on deep space and R&D. But the narrative that India is 'privatising space' is overstated. The government still owns the launch complex, sets the terms, and provides handholding. The real test will be whether private operators can match Isro's reliability and safety record, especially on a coast where cyclones are common. Watch how many bidders qualify and what launch cadence the winner delivers in year one.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
