Karnataka has taken the lead in India's space innovation drive with the signing of a memorandum of agreement between Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) and SatCom Industry Association-India (SIA-India) to set up the country's first state-level Centre of Excellence (CoE) in space technology. The facility will come up in Bengaluru, SIA said Thursday, adding it will serve as a collaborative platform bringing together industry, academia, startups and govt to accelerate India's space tech ecosystem.
The state aims to capture 50% of India's projected Rs 1.8 lakh crore space market by 2033 and contribute to the national target of securing 10% of the global space economy. Subba Rao Pavuluri, president of SIA-India, called the CoE a strategic nucleus for strengthening Karnataka's leadership in the global space economy. It will consolidate our collective strengths in industry, academia, and govt to propel India's space journey into its next phase of innovation and competitiveness," he said. The centre will support space-tech startups through prototype funding and mentorship, and launch training programmes for professionals and students.
It will also promote R&D in satellite components, AI-based data analytics, and space applications, besides facilitating partnerships with domestic and international organisations for technology transfer and joint ventures, SIA said. Anil Prakash, director general of SIA-India, said the Centre will also introduce India's first State Space Innovation Index to assess policy readiness and investment climate. By creating a model for public-private collaboration, this initiative positions Karnataka as the launchpad for India's next generation of space enterprises,he said.DS Govindrajan, board member of SIA-India, will lead the centre's development and implementation in coordination with state and industry stakeholders.
