Interview: OneWeb, Jio-SES, Starlink, Amazon Kuiper to meet India's SATCOM needs, says Pawan Goenka of In-SPACe

Excerpts from the interview:

What sort of demand is expected in the Indian satcom space?

India's capacity for high throughput is about 25 Gbps, with an additional 48 Gbps expected from GSAT-20. Looking five years ahead, the demand prediction is still unclear, but estimates suggest it could be as high as 2 Tbps, requiring significantly more satellites than we currently have. Once we have a clearer idea of future demand, we can determine the number of authorisations needed. We aim for a balanced mix of multinationals, Indian companies, and NCIL to meet all SATCOM capacity requirements.

Nearly every company with a GSO communication satellite is interested in obtaining authorisation to launch in India.

In terms of SATCOM, India represents a significant market, likely ranking among the top three or four globally in terms of demand for satellite communication, both for broadcasting and communication purposes.

Indian demand for SATCOM is primarily fulfilled by ISRO satellites, now managed by NSIL, with lesser reliance on foreign satellites. ISRO currently has no plans for new SATCOM satellites, but NSIL is preparing to replace and upgrade existing satellites, adapting to significant technological advancements since their original deployment.

India currently lacks private sector SATCOM satellites, and there's a need for private companies to step up with installations similar to GSO (Geostationary Satellite Orbit). It will take time for Indian private businesses to become significant investments in this sector. However, there are developments like OneWeb, where an Indian entrepreneur has invested in a global initiative. Additionally, joint ventures like SES with Jio for Orbit Connect, focused on India, are emerging, with applications owned by Indian companies.

OneWeb and Reliance-SES have got the approval. Is there a timeline under which Starlink and Amazon's Project Kuiper will get the approval?

Starlink, Jio-SES, OneWeb and Amazon's Project Kuiper - all four have an interest in India. India is a large market for them. Within these four, we will meet our country's requirements.

What In-SPACe is doing to ensure ease of doing business for private companies?

One of our primary focus areas is improving the ease of doing business. Our goal is to ensure that no one has to approach multiple departments for approvals. Instead, In-Space should handle all the necessary approvals behind the scenes. To facilitate this, we have set up a committee called SC-IMC. It includes joint secretary-level members from various departments such as MIB, DoT, WPC, MeA, MHA, DoS, DPIIT, and DST. I chair this committee. It reviews all applications and seeks inputs from relevant departments as needed. This streamlined process allows the committee to provide comprehensive approvals, considering all necessary requirements.

What sort of impact have you seen after the 100 percent FDI policy nod?

So far, the first investment has materialised after the implementation of the FDI policy, and many more are in the pipeline. These processes take time; the policy was announced just in February. Previously, obtaining FDI approval for the space sector was cumbersome, and not a single company had been approved. Now, the situation is changing significantly. Although some investments still require the FDI process beyond the automatic route, the industry is optimistic about these developments.

How do you look at the role of startups in the space economy? How is In-SPACe encouraging startups in this space?

In-Space serves primarily as a facilitator. It collaborates with the industry to initiate proof of concepts and development efforts, offering technical resources and access to services as needed. Most of these companies are realising that they require that kind of mentorship.

Many of them have gone ahead and taken on board retired ISRO experts and there is a big supply of those people that have been working on either for employees. Second, when they get to a point of doing the activity, we help with the authorisation approval.

Third, we help them in demand creation. While they do their demand creation, we also help in creating demand through connecting the government department, to the various international queries that come to us.

Is In-SPACe working with other countries for joint activities and startup collaboration?

We are working with Australia and announced a collaboration between Australian-Indian in-space servicing arm Space Machines Company and Isro's commercial arm NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) for the launch of the second Optimus spacecraft.

Talks for this collaboration started two years ago when I had a meeting with the Australian Space Agency. We are also collaborating with Japan, Luxembourg and Italy. And, the next one we are planning is Singapore. Surely, we will be able to get into partnerships with other countries.

How do you see India in comparison with other countries?

In the realm of science and technology, India has consistently been a global leader, ranking among the top four or five nations. India certainly stands strong among the leaders. The successful launches of Chandrayaan and Aditya L1 over the past year have significantly bolstered India's scientific reputation in space exploration. Current and upcoming endeavours are poised to further enhance India's standing in science and technology.

India was relatively late to start in commercial space exploration, with reforms announced by the prime minister and the finance minister only about three years ago. We lag behind nations like the US, several European countries, and Japan in this field. However, our progress in catching up has been commendable, with 14-15 Indian companies now advancing beyond the proof of concept stage.

In the startup ecosystem, generating initial revenue is crucial. At least 10 companies have achieved this milestone.

In-SPACe's launch manifesto proposed 30 space missions over five quarters. What's the latest?

The launch manifesto aimed to outline planned missions, acknowledging that timelines may shift due to evolving factors. For the current year, we anticipated four or five launches by Skyroot Aerospace and one by AgniKul. Skyroot's launches are slated for November-December, possibly extending into the last quarter of this fiscal year, though not completing four launches. AgniKul is expected to launch in the first quarter of the next fiscal year, with decisions still pending on necessary steps.

What sort of initiatives need to be taken to ensure India has a strong manufacturing ecosystem for the space sector?

First, we're collaborating with states to establish manufacturing clusters tailored to our specific needs. We've already secured an agreement with Gujarat and they have allocated land. They're also on the verge of releasing a space policy that will emphasise satellites and payloads. About 100 acres are earmarked for this initiative. Our focus is on providing common infrastructure for satellite manufacturing, which is usually cost-prohibitive for individual companies, through joint investments with state and central governments, available on a revenue-sharing basis.

Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, where the proximity to launch centres is advantageous, we're concentrating on launch vehicles, motors, and related systems. A sizable plot has been dedicated for this purpose. We're collaborating closely to explore avenues for making manufacturing economically viable in India, akin to our efforts elsewhere.

What about the manufacturing of handheld devices for satellite communication services?

We're in discussions with numerous terminal users, all of whom manufacture their products outside of India. Shifting an established supply base to a new country is a challenging task. Nevertheless, we're actively collaborating with these users and potential manufacturers to explore the possibility of creating an ecosystem within India for producing these handheld user terminals.