In a significant step towards opening India’s space sector for private participation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to launch the Indian Space Association (ISpA) on Monday, 11 October.

Indian Space Association, to be virtually launched by Prime Minister Modi, will have Bharti Airtel, Larsen & Toubro, Nelco (Tata Group), OneWeb, Mapmyindia, Walchandnagar Industries and Ananth Technology Limited as its founding members.

Besides, there will also be companies like Godrej, Hughes India, Azista-BST Aerospace Private Limited, BEL, Centum Electronics and Maxar India as core members of the Indian Space Association.

Senior Executive Vice President for Defence L&T-NxT Jayant Patil will be the first chairman of ISpA. Bharti Airtel’s Chief Regulatory Officer Rahul Vatts will be the vice chairman.

Indian Space Association (ISpA) which will have homegrown and global corporations with advanced capabilities in space and satellite technologies is expected to facilitate a robust space technology eco-system for carrying out advanced scientific and research work in the country, according to experts in the field.

ISpA Director General A K Bhatt said in a statement, “We are truly honoured to have the Prime Minister grace the launch ceremony and outline his vision for the growth of India’s space industry and making our nation a global leader in the space arena.”