Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 23: India plans to share technology of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), one of the country’s most reliable rockets, with the private sector as part of efforts to accelerate growth of the domestic space industry.

Pawan Goenka, chairman of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), said the organisation has issued an expression of interest for transferring PSLV technology to private companies.

Only companies that are majority owned and controlled by Indians will be eligible for the technology transfer, he said.

The move is aimed at increasing production capacity of Indian rockets and strengthening the country’s position as a global hub for small satellite launches.

The Indian space sector was opened to private participation in 2019 following a decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Since then, hundreds of space startups have emerged, with several private players entering satellite, launch and space technology sectors.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Platforms Ltd. has also expressed plans to develop a satellite constellation.

However, the PSLV programme faced setbacks recently, with two consecutive missions failing in the past year. The rocket has previously been used for several major missions, including launches related to India’s Moon and Mars programmes.

Goenka said the recent failures were temporary and pointed to PSLV’s strong track record of more than 60 successful launches without failure.

He added that several large business groups have shown interest in entering the space sector and are waiting for suitable opportunities, though he did not reveal their names.

The technology transfer is expected to encourage greater private participation and help India expand its capabilities in satellite launch services.