The draft of the Karnataka Space Technology Policy, 2024-29 was released at the Bengaluru Tech Summit on November 20.

The draft policy summarises the global, national and State level overview of the sector along with key industry expectations and several policies of Karnataka that are already benefiting the sector.

“Through the draft policy, the government of Karnataka has set a vision of holding 50% of the national market share of the sector and transforming Karnataka into a global destination for space sector with 5% of global market share,” states the draft.

The policy will focus on all segments (upstream and downstream) of the space value chain for commercial, defence space and electronics, space research, astronomy and astrophysics.

In addition, the policy aims to operationalise the vision through five focused missions, which include skill development, investment, infrastructure, innovation and facilitation, adoption and awareness.

Karnataka plans to train and upskill 5,000 students and young professionals, including 1,500 women students and young professionals, to be employable in the domestic and global space sector.

“Incentives, focused reach-out and campaigns to attract $3 billion in investment into the State’s space ecosystem,” the draft states.

Under infrastructure, it plans to set up space manufacturing cluster in Karnataka state to enable agglomeration of industrial units and achieve economies of scale, and create testing centres and facilities through PPP mode, create common access channels to all testing facilities available across the State with private and public sector.

Under innovation and facilitation, the government will directly support approximately 500 start-ups and MSMEs of the sector through grants, equity funding, and specific subsidies for IP registration, testing, standards and quality certification, and marketing to enable 50-plus satellites with substantial indigenisation launched by Karnataka-based space sector enterprises.

“DPI/DPG approach to improving adoption of space technologies and sensitise possibilities through space technologies for non-space sectors including the government of Karnataka. An interdepartmental committee will be constituted to define space-based solutions for governance. Revenue-based incentives for downstream applications, which have resulted in positive socio-economic benefits in specific sectors, viz. agriculture, forest management, fisheries, mining, urban development and rural development, will be provided to the start-ups and MSMEs,” states the draft.

An MoU between Karnataka government and DRDO for cooperation and promotion of defence industrial ecosystem of Karnataka was signed at the event.