ISRO and Microsoft to Help Space-tech Startups in India Become Enterprise Ready

ISRO and Microsoft to help space-tech startups grow by providing them support in terms of technology, go-to-market support and mentoring

ISRO and Microsoft have announced a collaboration that has been formed with an intent to help space-tech startups in India flourish with the right support. The Memorandum of Understanding aims at empowering space tech startups across the country with technology tools and platforms, go-to-market support and mentoring to help them scale and become enterprise ready. Microsoft Founders Hub will be a part of this initiative and will provide startups with the required support from the time of their  inception till they attain the unicorn status.

S Somanath, chairman, ISRO, said: “ISRO’s collaboration with Microsoft will greatly benefit space tech startups in their analysis and processing of vast amounts of satellite data for various applications, using cutting-edge methods like AI, Machine Learning and Deep Learning. The Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub is a useful platform for bringing together startups and providers of technology solutions to support the national space technology ecosystem. We are pleased to work together to assist and support entrepreneurs, to in turn benefit the Indian economy as a whole.”

The space-tech startups that are identified by the Indian Space Research Organisation will be onboarded onto the Microsoft Founders Hub. Through the Hub, space-tech startup founders in India will be provided with access to the tech tools, and resources they need to build and run their business free of cost. This includes technical support to build and scale on Azure, best-in-class developer and productivity tools including GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio Enterprise, and Microsoft 365, and access to smart analytics with Power BI and Dynamics 365.

Anant Maheshwari, president, Microsoft India, said, “Space-tech startups in India are playing a significant role in advancing the country’s space capabilities with the power of technology. We are pleased to collaborate with ISRO to accelerate this transformation of what’s possible in space. Through our technology tools, platforms and mentorship opportunities, we are deeply committed to empowering space-tech startups in the country to drive cutting edge innovation and accelerate scientific discovery.”