NYT Hails India’s Space Startups

NEW DELHI, (IANS) – With at least 140 registered space-tech startups, India stands to transform the planet’s connection to the final frontier, says The New York Times.

The report highlighted the startups in India with ambitious plans for capitalizing on the burgeoning demand for small satellites in low Earth orbits.

The startups featured are Skyroot Aerospace, Dhruva Space, and Pixxel, all of which are among a cluster of startups that have been actively and closely working with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

“Suddenly India has become home to at least 140 registered space-tech start-ups, comprising a local research field that stands to transform the planet’s connection to the final frontier. It’s one of India’s most sought-after sectors for venture capital investors,” said the report. “The startups’ growth has been explosive, leaping from five when the pandemic started. And they see a big market to serve,” it added.

The government has opened the space sector for private players.

Earlier this year, ISRO and Microsoft on July 6 announced a collaboration to fuel the growth of space technology startups in the country.

According to NYT, the US and India, “see space as an arena in which India can emerge as a counterweight to their mutual rival: China.”