India’s space regulator, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), has selected Dhruva Space, Astrome Technologies, and Azista Industries to develop indigenous small satellite bus platforms under its Satellite Bus as a Service (SBaaS) initiative. Each company will receive a grant of ₹5 crore to support the development and demonstration of modular, scalable satellite buses capable of hosting multiple payloads.
The SBaaS initiative was announced in April 2025 through an Announcement of Opportunity inviting proposals from Indian non-governmental entities. By July 2025, IN-SPACe had received fifteen proposals, and three companies were shortlisted following a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process. Contracts with the selected firms were signed on February 11, officially launching the program.
Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, described the initiative as a crucial step toward building a robust, sustainable, and globally competitive small satellite manufacturing ecosystem in India. “By enabling indigenous satellite bus platforms and integrating them with India’s emerging small satellite launch capabilities, we are laying the foundation for India to become a preferred global destination for end-to-end small satellite manufacturing, launch, and hosted payload services,” he said.
IN-SPACe stated that the platforms developed under the SBaaS program will provide cost-effective, standardized solutions for both domestic and international customers seeking hosted payload services. Grants will be disbursed in milestones, and the selected companies will gain access to infrastructure, testing facilities, and technical expertise from the Department of Space and ISRO as required.
Recently, IN-SPACe also signed a concession agreement with Pixxel and Allied Orbits, a special-purpose vehicle led by a Pixxel consortium, to establish an Earth Observation constellation under a public-private partnership framework, further strengthening India’s small satellite ecosystem.
Recent Random Post:
