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India�s �space� goes commercial; ISRO moves assets to private arm

Watsupptoday Desk | Bengaluru

India�s space agency will move all its operational satellites, rockets and applications to its commercial arm, New Space India Ltd, allowing the private sector to commercially exploit the assets it has built so far.
Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chairman K Sivan said on Thursday that private firms can also independently build satellites and rockets and launch them from Indian soil.
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (In-Space), a new body set up by the government, will regulate the country�s space industry, he added.
On its part, Isro will focus on building technologies and undertake deep space missions and human space flights.
�An open and inclusive space sector will result in accelerated growth, job creation as well as innovations and will enable the Indian space industry to be a significant player in the global space economy,� Sivan said in a webcast.
India has a fleet of 15 communication satellites that provide direct-to-home, telecom and internet services; it has 13 operational remote sensing satellites for earth observation and applications such as weather and ocean monitoring as well as disaster management.
It has built three generations of rockets that can carry satellites weighing as much as 6 tonnes into geostationary orbit. It is also building a small satellite launch vehicle that can carry smaller satellites into space.
Besides companies such as Larson & Toubro, Godrej Aerospace, MTAR and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, which build systems for India�s space programme, entrepreneurs are also building rockets and satellites to launch on their own.