Companies that were primarily vendors to Isro have started warming up to the idea of investing in technology and making bigger bets in the space sector, especially after the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission
August 23, 2023, India: There was no cricket match involving the Indian team that day. No new southern blockbuster had been released in theatres, nor was there a lockdown or curfew. Yet an hour before India’s mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-3, was to land on the lunar surface, people across the country either sat quietly glued to television screens or watched the event unfold on their smartphones. It broke all records on YouTube with 8 million concurrent views on the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (Isro) channel. The Vikram lander successfully touched down near the moon’s South Pole at 18:03 IST, and the nation erupted in joy.
Not only had India become the fourth in the world to make a soft landing on the lunar surface, it also became the first to successfully land near its South Pole. But beyond the euphoria, the event also signalled the triumph of more than 400 private companies that are part of the vendor ecosystem that Isro has nurtured since its founding in 1969 to service its components, materials, and fabrication requirements.
Larger companies, which were primarily vendors to Isro, have now started warming up to the idea of investing in technology and making bigger bets. So many want to have access to making rockets
Indeed, each successful step that Isro has taken has turned into a giant leap for these firms. And over the years, Isro’s ecosystem has included a diverse set of firms: From public sector undertakings to the legacy names of India Inc. and fledgeling spacetech start-ups. These firms have gained invaluable experience with each mission, and that in turn has bolstered their confidence to the extent that some are now looking to strike out on their own. In this changed scenario, marked by the watershed of Chandrayaan-3, there is a growing recognition of Indian firms’ prowess and promise, reflected in the easier availability of funds. Another indicator of this change is the sudden spurt in the number of spacetech start-ups to more than 150 entities, which is the highest in Asia. These firms are spread across the gamut of space activities, from launch services to small satellite constellations to space tourism. And they are vying for a share in the $386-billion global private space industry, which is expected to grow to $1 trillion by 2040.
“While the Chandrayaan series has been led by Isro, there has been significant participation by the private sector in supplying components. It goes to the agency’s credit that it identified suppliers who have over time developed capabilities to support a high-end mission like the Chandrayaan series,” Lt Gen. (Retd) Anil Kumar Bhatt, Director General of the apex industry body the Indian Space Association (ISpA), tells Business Today.
The list includes notable public sector enterprises such as Bharat Electronics Ltd, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd, Electronics Corp. of India Ltd, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Kerala State Electronics Development Corp. Ltd, and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd. It also has storied names from the private sector like Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE)—part of the N. Chandrasekaran-led Tata group—whose relationship with Isro dates to 1971, when it engineered the first solid propellant plant. Today, the TCE-designed mobile launch pedestal at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre is used for assembling satellite launch vehicles.
“Private sector participation plays a crucial role in India’s success in the space sector. It brings in much-needed innovation for developing space-based applications and services while also opening a new pool of resources and talent,” says Amit Sharma, MD and CEO of Tata Consulting Engineers.
Likewise, Jamshyd Godrej-led Godrej & Boyce has been an Isro partner for over 30 years, contributing to the production of over 175 engines for the agency’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) missions through its subsidiary, Godrej Aerospace. “We have been partnering with Isro’s space missions, including all PSLV and GSLV missions, and have contributed critical components like liquid propulsion engines, satellite thrusters, and control module components for both the Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan missions,” says Maneck Behramkamdin, Senior VP & Business Head at Godrej Aerospace.
Engineering-to-IT conglomerate Larsen & Toubro, led by S.N. Subrahmanyan, is another storied partner. The critical aerodynamic test facilities it developed in 1975 are not only among India’s first but have few precedents worldwide. “L&T has played a critical role in the launch of the Launch Vehicle Mark-3-M4 (LVM3-M4) [in the] Chandrayaan and Aditya L1 missions. L&T is involved in these missions, starting from the manufacturing of flight hardware to mission tracking,” states Arun Ramchandani, Executive Vice President and Head of Defence Business at L&T.
Then there are component suppliers like Pune-based Walchandnagar Industries, which has devoted a significant part of its resources towards servicing space services in the five decades of its association with Isro. Chirag Doshi, Managing Director & CEO, says, “Since our division’s humble beginnings in the early 1970s, we boast of 40 per cent of our resources, both men and machines, exclusively working towards India’s space programme.”
.jpg)