India’s advent in the realm of space and space technology and research is nothing knew. It was over five decades back in time, circa 1969 that one of the world’s largest democracies on the face of the earth came up with the revolutionary Indian Space Research Organisation.
Better known as ISRO, the Bengaluru-headquartered organisation has, ever since its inception, forwarded India’s research into space and pioneered visionary achievements as the national space agency of the country.
But that said, on October 11, 2021, India is all set to leap further in its space program and ambitions by the official launch of the Indian Space Association. To elaborate further, the Indian Space Association will fasttrack India’s space-driven research missions and will be a leading body composite of corporates and research bodies toward the realm of space programs.
It’s no surprise that where the last few years stand, then India has made great strides toward space research and development. These have, redoubtably, been accompanied by a number of space launches and missions, all of which have only strengthened India’s presence in a realm where only a few countries have been able to make repeat breakthroughs, some of which include- Russia, the United States, to quote a few.
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That being said, here are some important excerpts from a HT news piece highlighting the essence of the Indian Space Association:
At 11 AM tomorrow, 11th October, I will join the programme to launch the Indian Space Association. I am glad to be getting the opportunity to interact with leading stakeholders of the sector. Those interested in the world of space and innovation must-watch tomorrow’s programme,” PM Modi tweeted.
In a release, the Prime Minister’s Office said that ISpA is a premier industry association of space and satellite companies, which aspires to be the collective voice of the Indian space industry.
“It will undertake policy advocacy and engage with all stakeholders in the Indian space domain, including the government and its agencies,” it added.
The ISpA’s founding members include some of the widely known corporate and research-driven names of the country. These include- Larson & Toubro, Nelco (Tata Group), OneWeb, Bharti Airtel, Mapmyindia, Walchandnagar Industries and Ananth Technology Limited. Other core members include Godrej, Hughes India, Azista-BST Aerospace Private Limited, BEL, Centum Electronics and Maxar India, the release added.
Furthermore, the launch of the Indian Space Association will embolden India’s determination and passion toward space exploration by bringing together some of the leading organisations in the realm of corporate, deep tech and sophisiticated technology.
Over the years, India’s reputation and standing in the eye of the world has only enhanced multifold thanks to its relentless work and efforts in the ambit of space research and development. A country so often viewed from a parochial lens, it being home to countless engineers and doctors, has now sanitised its reputation in front of the world for being the melting pot of breakthrough research in the ambit of data science, spatial research and deep-tech driven projects, the essence of which is emboldened by the forthcoming launch of the Indian Space Association.
Mark the calendars and make time for it. October 11, 2021.