Today's Editorial

Today's Editorial - 25 February 2024

Space Liberalization

Relevance: GS Paper III

Why in News?

India opens up 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) under automatic route in the field of satellite component manufacturing.

Policy shift in Space sector:

  • India has significantly shifted its approach to space exploration by allowing 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in satellite system manufacturing without official approval.
  • The liberalisation of rules extends beyond satellite manufacturing to launch vehicles, allowing foreign companies to invest up to 49% without requiring official approval.

Significance of the policy shift:

  • Economic impact:
    • It aligns with India's aspiration to increase its share of the global space market from 2% to a formidable five-fold by 2032.
      • The space economy is estimated to reach $47.3 billion by then, offering India a tantalising prospect for asserting itself as a major player.
  • Technological advancement:
    • Privatising space launches is a calculated move aimed at catalysing technological advancement.
      • The move signals India's commitment to embracing cutting-edge technology and fostering global collaborations.
    • This move grants India access to the latest technological advancements and attracts much-needed funds domestically and internationally.
  • Job creation and Skill development:
    • The government envisions a scenario where the space sector becomes a fertile ground for job creation and skill development, fostering a generation of space enthusiasts who can contribute to India’s ambitious space endeavours.
  • Investment opportunities:
    • This move opens avenues for international partnerships and positions India as an attractive destination for space-related investments.
  • Knowledge transfer and innovation:
    • Collaboration with global space industry leaders brings potential knowledge transfer and a robust ecosystem for innovation.
  • Stock market response:
    • The impact of this policy change is already reverberating through the stock market, with space-related Indian stocks experiencing a surge, reflecting investor confidence in the growth prospects of the Indian space sector.
  • Global recognition:
    • Following India's successful lunar mission, where it became the first country to land a spacecraft near the uncharted south pole of the moon, the FDI policy has been liberalized.
      • As the global space community observes India's progress, it is witnessing the emergence of a new era where the limits of exploration expand into the domains of economic and technological frontiers.

Conclusion:

The implications of liberalisation are profound, promising economic growth, technological prowess, employment generation, investment and innovation, and international collaboration.

Beyond Editorial:

  • Under the amended FDI policy, the satellite sub-sector has been divided into three different activities with defined limits for foreign investment in each such sector:
    • Upto 74% under Automatic route: Satellites-Manufacturing & Operation, Satellite Data Products and Ground Segment & User Segment. Beyond 74% these activities are under the government route.
    • Upto 49% under Automatic route: Launch Vehicles and associated systems or subsystems, Creation of Spaceports for launching and receiving Spacecraft. Beyond 49% these activities are under the government route.
    • Upto 100% under Automatic route: Manufacturing of components and systems/ sub-systems for satellites, ground segment and user segment.

Sector specifics:

  • Satellite manufacturing:
    • There are collaborations between government agencies and private parties for manufacturing parts of satellites and their launchers; for instance, PSLV-C53 is the first official public–private collaboration for a space launcher in India.
  • Satellite launches:
    • Launch missions:
      • With the Mars Orbiter Mission or the Mangalyaan 2013, India became the 1st nation to reach Martian orbit in its first attempt.
      • Coming up, India is also launching the Gaganyaan, India’s Human Spaceflight Mission aiming to launch India's first crewed flight into space by 2024.
      • Others, like Research satellites, Navigation satellites (NavIC) and even student satellites, are promoted by ISRO.
  • Satellite launch services:
    • India has two operational launchers: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
    • NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) was established as the commercial arm of ISRO to move the commercial side of the space sector away from ISRO by creating demand from private players through technology transfer and aggregator economy models.

Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe):

  • It is responsible for promoting, enabling, authorising, and supervising various space activities of the non-governmental entities (NGEs) that include, among others, the building of launch vehicles & satellites and providing space-based services; sharing of space infrastructure and premises under the control of DOS/ISRO; and establishment of new space infrastructure and facilities.

Challenges faced by Space sector:

  • The budgetary allocation to India's space sector is much lower compared to other countries.
  • The unclear guidelines and authorization processes of IN-SPACe hinder private sector participation in the industry.
  • The long-awaited Space Activities Bill is yet to be finalized.
  • The domestic manufacturing of critical electronics equipment, sensors, payloads, and components is not up to the required level.
  • Another challenge is developing a launch vehicle carrying six to eight tons of payload into the geostationary orbit.
    • Currently, the GSLV Mk III vehicle's capacity is only four tons.
  • The issue of space debris presents a formidable challenge in satellite launching and raises environmental concerns.
  • Lastly, the Indian startup structure for the space industry faces a lack of financial investments and technology support in niche fields such as New Materials, AI, Additive Manufacturing, and Quantum.

Way forward:

  • Building a vibrant space industry also requires comprehensive fiscal and non-fiscal incentives from the government, spanning taxes, capital access, R&D grants, guaranteed orders, export promotion and more.
  • GST exemptions, lower tax rates on foreign capital, lower customs duties on raw materials/machinery imports, tax holidays for manufacturers, etc., are key to improving private project viability. Accelerated depreciation, higher R&D tax deductions, and deemed export status are other recommendations from the industry.
  • On non-tax incentives, suggestions include early-stage grants for startups and augmenting Technology Development Fund Corpus, viability gap funding to set up test facilities, reservation of satellite transponder capacity over 5 years for private players, preference for Indian companies in public procurement tenders and Buy Indian guidelines.
  • Regulatory updates like the Space Activities Bill, which is under finalization, should also incorporate liberal, growth-oriented provisions factoring in private sector requirements.

Related News: FDI Policy on Space Sector

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