The second day of the 27th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2024 commenced with a session on space technologies. The session featured keynote speeches by Dr. S. Somanath, Secretary of the Department of Space, Government of India, and Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Dr. B.K. Das, Director General of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Advisor of the United States of America. Shri Priyank Kharge, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj, Government of Karnataka, along with Dr. Ekroop Caur, IAS, Secretary to the Government, Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, also attended the session.
The session began with welcome remarks by Kris Gopalakrishnan, who also anchored the session. He highlighted the importance of India-USA collaboration at both the country-to-country and people-to-people levels for fostering growth and innovation in the space sector.
Dr. Somanath congratulated the Government of Karnataka for the successful Bengaluru Tech Summit and provided an overview of the Indian space program, tracing its evolution and ISRO’s major achievements over the years. He outlined ISRO’s vision for 2047 and the missions designed to achieve that vision. He noted that the Indian Space Policy, 2023, has significantly accelerated the innovation journey for many start-ups, enabling them to demonstrate capabilities in launch vehicle and satellite manufacturing and operations. He emphasised ISRO’s commitment to technology transfer to India’s private sector and remarked on Bengaluru’s emergence as a hub for new space companies and start-ups.
Anne Neuberger underscored the importance of space technologies and the space sector in the context of the India-USA partnership. She stressed that private sector collaboration between the two countries would synergistically drive growth and innovation. She identified earth observation, cybersecurity, and investments in the private sector as critical areas for partnership and collaboration.
Dr. B.K. Das noted that India is transforming into a global superpower in defense technologies, predicting a USD 138 billion opportunity in the coming years. He stated that Indian defense exports are on the rise, with a target of USD 5 billion over the next five years. He also highlighted the nationwide industrial base for major systems, emphasising the role of academia, industry, and DRDO in driving innovation. According to Dr. Das, innovative thinking, strategic planning, and information-sharing are crucial pillars for developing future defense technologies.
The session included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, and DRDO to foster cooperation and promote the defense industrial ecosystem in Karnataka.
During the session, the Draft Karnataka Space Technology Policy 2024–2029 was unveiled by the dignitaries. The draft policy highlights Karnataka as one of the leading destinations for space technologies, supported by a robust ecosystem of ISRO centers, public sector undertakings (PSUs), academic institutions, and private-sector aerospace and space companies, including MSMEs.
The draft policy outlines the Government of Karnataka’s vision for the space sector: to capture 50% of the national market share and transform the state into a global hub for space technologies. It identifies key strategic focus areas, including initiatives for skill development to make students and young professionals job-ready for domestic and international space companies; investment incentives to attract domestic and foreign investments; the establishment of dedicated manufacturing parks and testing centers for space companies across the state; and targeted support for start-ups and MSMEs in research and development, intellectual property creation, and marketing efforts. Additionally, the policy proposes extensive measures to enhance the adoption and awareness of space technologies by governments and the private sector, including the creation of digital public goods for geospatial technologies and revenue-linked incentives for downstream space use cases that can generate positive socio-economic impacts in the state.