The government announced on March 24 that Adani Enterprises Limited and L&T are part of two consortiums led by state-owned companies that have expressed an interest in building the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), ISRO’s warhorse rocket to launch satellites into to bring the orbit.
To encourage private sector involvement in the space sector, New Space India Limited (NSIL), a Space Ministry company, had solicited proposals from Indian industry to build five PSLVs.
Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh said two consortia, one consisting of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Larsen & Toubro, and another involving Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML ) were involved, Techno had submitted commercial proposals for the construction of PSLV.
State-run Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited has also submitted a technical-commercial proposal for an “end-to-end realization” of PSLV, he told the Rajya Sabha in response to a question from NCP member Vandana Chavan.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has worked closely with industry to build launch vehicles, satellites and other components, but in 2020 the government took the initiative for the first time
expanded the private equity sector for the full spectrum of space operations, including planetary exploration missions.
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) acts as an agency to promote, manage and authorize private sector activities in this sector and facilitate the exchange of technical facilities and expertise from ISRO.
NSIL’s mission is to expand private participation in the space program and also to own and operate capital-intensive assets such as satellites and launch vehicles.
Mr Singh told Rajya Sabha that IN-SPACe has received 48 applications from private actors to conduct space activities since 2020 and their applications are being processed for further activities.
“Of these, 16 are applications relating to the permitting of space activities to non-governmental private entities, 23 to the sharing of technology and Space Department facilities by NGPEs, and 9 to advice and funding,” he said in a written response.
