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The Union Cabinet recently approved the creation of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe).

About IN-SPACe

• IN-SPACe is the new entity of the Department of Space.
• It will have its own chairperson and board, and regulate and promote building of routine satellites, rockets and commercial launch services through Indian industry and startups.
• It will function autonomously and parallel to ISRO “without taking away anything from it.”
• IN-SPACe will have its own directorates for technical, legal, safety and security, monitoring and activities promotion.
• The IN-SPACe will provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure.
• This is part of reforms aimed at giving a boost to private sector participation in the entire range of space activities.
• The IN-SPACe will also hand-hold, promote and guide the private industries in space activities through encouraging policies and a friendly regulatory environment.

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• The NSIL [NewSpace India Ltd] will be strengthened and empowered with a larger role in the new `open and inclusive` space sector.
• NSIL would endeavour to reorient space activities from a ‘supply driven’ model to a ‘demand driven’ one, thereby ensuring optimum utilisation of the nation’s space assets.
• It will work with IN-SPACe and enable industry consortia to take on some of the activities of ISRO.
• These include launch vehicles and satellite production, launch services and space based services.
• India was among a handful of countries with advanced capabilities in the space sector and these reforms would allow the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to focus more on research and development activities, new technologies, exploration missions and human spaceflight programme.
• Some of the planetary exploration missions will also be opened up to private sector through an ‘announcement of opportunity’ mechanism

About NSIL

• New Space India Limited (NSIL), incorporated in 2019 (under the Companies Act, 2013) is a wholly owned Government of India company, under the administrative control of Department of Space (DOS).
• NSIL is the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with the primary responsibility of enabling Indian industries to take up high technology space related activities.
• It is also responsible for promotion and commercial exploitation of the products and services emanating from the Indian space programme.

The major business areas of NSIL

1. Production of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) through industry;
2. Production and marketing of space-based services, including launch services and space-based applications like transponder leasing, remote sensing and mission support services;
3. Building of Satellites (both Communication and Earth Observation) as per user requirements.
4. Transfer of technology developed by ISRO centres/ units and constituent institutions of Dept. of Space;
5. Marketing spin off technologies and products/ services emanating out of ISRO activities
6. Consultancy services