How ISRO is Encouraging Startups and Entrepreneurs in India

ISRO, a name that resonates with the hearts and minds of millions of Indians, is taking several steps to encourage the student and startup community in India. Apart from launching unique space missions that are adding accolades to the country, the Indian Space Research Organisation is also announcing MoUs with prestigious Indian institutions to encourage the countrymen to get more involved in the field of space science and technology.

The latest announcement on the ISRO website states that the Indian Space Research Organisation has set-up the third Space Technology Incubation Centre (S-TIC) at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Tiruchirappalli to encourage startups and entrepreneurship among student community, and also to develop an academia - industry ecosystem for space technology in India.

The first two Space Technology Incubation Centres are already functioning at National Institutes of Technology (NITs) at Agartala and Jalandhar, respectively. The S-TIC at NIT-Tiruchirappalli will cover the entire southern region of our country (comprising of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Tamilnadu and Telangana) and take a lead role towards its objectives, says ISRO.

Professor Mini Shaji Thomas, Director, NIT-Tiruchirappalli and Dr. PV Venkitakrishnan, Director, Capacity Building Programme Office, ISRO Headquarters signed and exchanged the MoU. Also, Dr K Sivan, Chairman of ISRO and Secretary of DOS inaugurated the S-TIC at NIT-Tiruchirappalli remotely from Bangalore and addressed the audience through videoconference.

This announcement comes just a few days after ISRO recently announced signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the seventh Space Technology Cell (STC) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati with a similar intent. ISRO continuously reiterates the enormous scope available in the emerging areas of science and technology in the research and development domain.

In his address to the audience through videoconference, Dr K Sivan anticipated the extensive participation of academic institutions and encouraged them to come forward and contribute towards the continual growth of the Indian Space Programme.