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SIA-India Newsletter – August 2025 First Edition

In a major boost to India’s regional space capabilities, the Government of Karnataka (KITs) has approved the establishment of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Space Technology in collaboration with SIA-India. With ₹10 crore committed over five years, the Bengaluru-based CoE will drive research and development, startup incubation, international collaboration, and skills training in next-generation space technologies. Focus areas will span satellite manufacturing and communications, Earth observation and analytics, navigation and space situational awareness, in-orbit servicing, sustainable space operations, and emerging domains such as AI and quantum communications.

Over its first five years, the CoE aims to incubate 20+ newSpace startups, produce 50+ research outputs, train over 2,000 professionals, enable 10+ global joint ventures, and generate $100M in startup-led innovation revenue. This initiative aligns with Karnataka’s Space Technology Policy 2024 goal of capturing 50% of India’s space economy by 2033 (~$22B) and contributes to India’s ambition of securing 5% of the global space market. It also serves as a national model for state-led space innovation, capacity building, and ecosystem development.

SIA-India is hosting an IAC 2025 Briefing Webinar on 25 August 2025 (10:30 AM IST – 3:00 PM AEST) to help participants maximise their engagement at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2025, scheduled in Sydney from 29 September to 3 October 2025.

Organised under the leadership of ISRO and IN-SPACe, the Indian delegation will have a strong and strategic presence at IAC 2025. This special online session is curated by SIA-India in collaboration with key Australian stakeholders, including the Australian Space Agency, Austrade, the Australia India Chamber of Commerce (AICC), and the Governments of Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia.

Participants will gain valuable insights directly from IN-SPACe, the Australian Space Agency, NSW Government, and the IAC 2025 Organizers, ensuring they are well-prepared to leverage networking, collaboration, and business opportunities at this global space industry forum. SIA-India is committed to strengthening international partnerships and enhancing industry participation.

Register for the webinar now: Click here

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has released the Draft National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2025, setting out an ambitious roadmap for India’s communications landscape through 2030 with important implications for the space sector. The policy emphasises the integration of satellite communications to expand universal connectivity, particularly in remote and underserved regions, while also proposing the creation of a Satcom Monitoring Facility to strengthen regulatory oversight and safeguard national security. It further highlights the role of space-based systems in supporting next-generation technologies such as 6G and quantum communications and places a strong focus on promoting domestic manufacturing of satellite equipment to reduce import dependence. These measures align with India’s broader ambition of achieving digital self-reliance and expanding its commercial space ecosystem. SIA-India has prepared a comprehensive feedback submission on the Draft National Telecom Policy 2025, incorporating member inputs. We continue to welcome additional suggestions to further strengthen the document as part of our ongoing endeavour by 30 August 2025. For your suggestions, write an email to rajith.ali@sia-india.com

To influence the Union Budget 2026, SIA-India will be making priority submissions to the Ministry of Finance. We invite recommendations from all stakeholders — including industry, academia, startups, and individuals — for inclusion in the Pre-Budget Memorandum by 1 September 2025. Please send your inputs to sudipta.behera@sia-india.com.

Out of 6,400 abstracts submitted from 103 countries for the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2025, India ranks third with 565 abstracts. This reaffirms India’s position as a consistent and strong contributor of high-quality technical papers to the global space community. Notably, India will also field the largest student delegation, showcasing the depth of talent and enthusiasm driving the nation’s space ambitions.

In a landmark advancement for space manufacturing, scientists from South Korea’s Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and Hanyang University have successfully developed the world’s first 3D-printed titanium alloy fuel tank to meet space-grade standards without requiring any additional coating. The tank underwent rigorous testing, withstanding pressures of up to 330 bar and extreme cryogenic temperatures as low as −196 °C, validating its durability for space applications.

This innovation demonstrates the potential of additive manufacturing to produce high-performance, lightweight, and cost-efficient components for space systems. Titanium’s superior strength-to-weight ratio, combined with the precision of 3D printing, can significantly reduce production timelines while maintaining reliability under harsh space conditions. Although commercial deployment may still be some years away, this breakthrough holds significant promise for applications in satellites, launch vehicles, and deep-space missions, where weight optimisation and structural integrity are paramount.

SIA-India has launched its Young Fellow Programme, a structured, year-long initiative designed to engage talented and driven young professionals in advancing research, stakeholder engagement, and thought leadership within India’s rapidly growing space economy. The programme offers immersive exposure to policy advocacy, industry engagement, and strategic research on emerging space issues, alongside active participation in SIA-India’s day-to-day operations.

Fellowship Structure and Timelines
The 12-month fellowship will admit three rolling cohorts annually — in April, August, and December — with two fellows per intake. The programme is open to recent graduates, Master’s students, and early-career professionals, preferably from backgrounds in public policy, engineering, space science, business, or international affairs. Candidates must demonstrate a keen interest in the space sector, possess strong analytical and communication skills, and undergo a structured selection process involving an application, writing sample, and interview.

Roles and Contributions

Selected fellows will contribute to drafting policy notes, position papers, and industry research documents; support stakeholder consultations and event coordination; create outreach content; monitor global and domestic policy developments; and participate in thematic projects aligned with India’s commercial space growth.

Fellowship Benefits
Each fellow will receive a monthly stipend of ₹25,000 (all-inclusive, subject to applicable taxes), along with a completion bonus of ₹60,000 upon successful fulfilment of the fellowship term. Graduating fellows will be awarded a formal Certificate of Completion jointly signed by SIA-India’s senior leadership.

Learning and Exposure
 Under the mentorship of SIA-India’s Secretariat and senior advisors, fellows will gain hands-on experience in real-time policy work, industry interfacing, and thought leadership initiatives. They will have opportunities to participate in flagship events such as the India Space Congress, DefSAT Conference & Expo, as well as policy roundtables, webinars, and international exchanges.

Join the August Cohort, apply before 15th August 2025: Click here

Marking National Space Day on August 23, SIA-India, in collaboration with the Nabhah Foundation and the Society for Space Education Research and Development (SSERD), has announced SpaceKalpana: Dream. Discover. Design — a national-level creative competition for students from Classes 3 to 12. This programme aims to foster creativity, curiosity, and awareness among school students, encouraging them to engage with India’s growing space sector and envision its future.

The initiative invites young minds to express their space aspirations through essays, posters, and videos inspired by India’s remarkable space journey. The themes for each category include:
Essay Ideas
• "If I Could Go to Space"
• "How Space Tech Helps Life on Earth"
• "India’s Space Heroes: From Sarabhai to Subhanshu"
• "NISAR: Watching the Earth from Above"
• " Space for Sustainable Livelihood on Earth"
Poster Ideas
• “My Dream Rocket”
• “A Day in a Space Station”
• “Earth Through a Satellite’s Eyes”
• “Clean Space, Safe Space”
• “Space in making the Earth A Better place to Live”
Video Ideas
• "My Message to an Alien"
• “Life on Mars: My Version”
• “Build Your Own Satellite (With Toys!)”
• “A Space News Show – From 2050!”
• “Why I Want to Be a Space Scientist”

The submission deadline is August 16, 2025. All shortlisted participants will receive joint certificates, while top entries will be recognized with national-level honours.

Participate Now: Click here

SIA-India is pleased to welcome HEX20 as its newest member. Founded by a team of dedicated space professionals, HEX20 is a space technology company specializing in satellite platforms, mission services, and subsystems for government, defence, commercial, and academic space missions.

With proven contributions to Lunar and Mars missions, HEX20 brings strong technical expertise and a forward-looking vision to the sector. Guided by its mission of “Bringing Space Closer”, the company delivers fit-for-function, scalable platforms and turnkey small satellite solutions. Leveraging high-TRL platforms that integrate CubeSat and MicroSat architectures, HEX20 offers faster turnaround times alongside flexibility, compatibility, and reliability for applications in space science, defence, and commercial domains.

Know More about HEX20: Click here

SIA-India is pleased to welcome Tantrayut Telecommunications Private Limited (TTPL) as a new member. An innovative MSME start-up and DIPP-registered enterprise, TTPL operates under the brand name Samarsat and is driven by the vision of “Technology without Bounds!”.

Founded by experienced professionals and technocrats, TTPL has established an indigenous ecosystem for the design, prototyping, production, and testing of SatCom and telecom technologies. Its core areas of specialization include the indigenization of telecom hardware and software, mixed-signal hardware systems for applications in radio astronomy, SatCom, radars, tactical data links, and 5G, as well as end-to-end SatCom solutions such as COTP, COTM, manpack, and man-portable systems.

With a growing product portfolio featuring Ku 85, Ku 53, Ku manpack, and 2.4m S/X band antennas, TTPL continues to deliver strategic communication solutions for domestic and international markets, contributing to India’s self-reliance in SatCom technologies.

Know More about Tantrayut Telecommunications: https://tantrayut.in/

On the birth anniversary of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, widely regarded as the father of the Indian space programme, SIA-India honours his visionary leadership that transformed the nation’s aspirations into a globally respected space capability.

As India continues to strengthen its position as a leading spacefaring nation, SIA-India remains inspired by Dr. Sarabhai’s enduring legacy of ambition, inclusivity, and societal purpose — values that continue to guide the growth and direction of the country’s space sector.

SIA-India congratulates Dr. A Rajarajan on his appointment as Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO. With close to four decades of experience in launch vehicle systems and composite technologies, Dr. Rajarajan brings deep technical and leadership expertise to his new role. He previously served as Director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre – SHAR.

SIA-India congratulates Padmakumar E S on becoming Director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre – SHAR. A veteran since 1986, he led innovations such as Chandrayaan-3 navigation systems and India’s first space robotics arm, RRMTD, enhancing India’s space technology leadership.

SIA-India member Manastu Space has successfully completed the sea-level hot-fire test of its GP-LAM thruster — an auxiliary propulsion system engineered for the upper stages of launch vehicles. The system delivers an impressive nominal vacuum thrust of 300N, designed to meet the demanding requirements of upper stage manoeuvring, orbital corrections, and enhanced mission flexibility.

The test, conducted under real-world simulated conditions, demonstrated high reliability, robust performance, and scalability for next-generation launch vehicle architectures. Manastu Space’s engineering and test teams continue to raise the bar in performance, safety, and dependability for critical spaceflight operations. SIA-India congratulates Manastu Space for this milestone, reinforcing India’s growing leadership in advanced space propulsion technologies.

SIA-India congratulates the Pixxel-led consortium — including our member companies SatSure and Dhruva Space, along with PierSight Space — on winning the contract for India’s first Public-Private Partnership-led Earth Observation satellite constellation.

This 12-satellite network represents a significant advancement in India’s EO capabilities, supporting critical applications in agriculture, disaster management, maritime security, and climate monitoring. The project marks a paradigm shift in the way India builds and operates space infrastructure, strengthening public-private collaboration in the sector. This milestone is a win for the entire Indian space ecosystem. Each tender, bid, and partnership fuels innovation, elevates standards, and strengthens the nation’s collective capability to address both domestic priorities and global space needs.

Mr Anil Prakash
Director General, SIA-India

Karnataka has approved a Centre of Excellence in space technology with initial funding of Rs 10 crore over five years, in collaboration with SIA-India. Located in Bengaluru, the centre aims to boost space R&D, entrepreneurship, and skilling, 

Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) July 30 (UNI): The NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission is a full circle moment in the space history of India and the US, said Anil Prakash,Director General, SIA -India.

As Earth’s orbit grows increasingly congested, the European Space Agency (ESA) is stepping up efforts to safeguard satellites and preserve the long-term sustainability of space.

The mission, aimed at simulating the stresses and routines of lunar and Martian exploration, marks a major milestone for India's human spaceflight ambitions.