HYDERABAD: With the government opening up the space sector for private players and a clutch of space tech start-ups coming up in the last four to five years, Hyderabad can emerge as a launchpad for entrepreneurs keen on exploring opportunities in space
Awais Ahmed, founder and CEO of space-tech startup Pixxel, that bagged a $5 million funding last week, too said that apart from Bengaluru, Hyderabad is the only suitable city for space tech start-ups, especially working in the hardware area, because of the manufacturing ecosystem and the presence of RCI-DRDO, where prototypes can be tested. There are 25-30 space tech startups in India and if we add aviation startups, the number would be in the range of 150-170.
Telangana IT principal secretary Jayesh Ranjan pointed out that aviation and space being a highly regulated sector, close coordination with Bengaluru-based nodal aviation/space institutions such as ISRO, NAL and concerned OEM divisions are required for these start-ups for testing, prototyping and getting necessary clearances. There is a natural preference for start-ups to set up base in Bengaluru but once they scale up, these firms are open to relocating to hubs like Hyderabad, he said.
“We have taken various measures to encourage start-ups in these sectors by hosting acceleration programmes of Boeing, Pratt and Whitney and Collins Aerospace. We also entered into an MoU with Airbus Bizlab and IDeX to work with their start-ups in Telangana. More hardware start-ups are also expected to come up once T-Works become operational,” he added.
Even Ravikant Reddy, an investor who led a funding round into Hyderabadbased Dhurva Space, said the existing infrastructure in Hyderabad can be leveraged to tap the global markets hitherto untouched. Awais said government can consider setting up a grant to provide funding for start-ups to build IP in India. Yashas Karanam, director, Bengaluru-based Bellatrix Aerospace said government can look into issuance of licences to start-ups in a time bound manner. Besides, the government is planning an online portal for start-ups to book slots for getting access to common facilities.
“Industries can plan their testing activities and meet timelines if the process is seamless with the portal having updated information. Transfer of technology of niche materials and processes under suitable agreements to protect national interest would accelerate companies to add more technologies to their portfolio,” he added.
