BENGALURU, 20 NOV

In a significant call for action, ISRO Chairman S Somanath underlined the urgent need for India to manufacture car sensors domestically rather than relying on imports. Speaking during a session dedicated to space technology and defence at the Bengaluru Tech Summit, Somanath highlighted the pressing issue of high production costs hindering the viability of local car sensor manufacturing.

He noted, "For car sensors, viability is achievable only if production costs are low and manufacturing is scaled up," pointing to the disparity between India’s substantial investment in rocket sensors and the costly production of car sensors. Somanath advocated for enhanced collaboration within the industry and stressed that policy interventions, such as those introduced at the summit, could pave the way for solutions.

The chairman praised the 2020 space sector reforms and the 2023 Space Policy for fostering a favourable ecosystem for private sector growth, stating, "There is a lot of interest in the sector. I hear from many aspiring to build the next SpaceX in India." Somanath also reported that five companies are currently engaged in satellite construction, although he acknowledged the challenges posed by a lack of major players and insufficient investment in upstream capabilities.

Furthermore, he underscored the importance of technology transfer from ISRO to the private sector, enabling industries to develop these technologies into viable products and services. Karnataka Minister for IT, Biotechnology, Science and Technology, Priyank Kharge, revealed that the draft policy aims for Karnataka to capture 50 per cent of the national space market and become a global hub for space technologies. -PTI