Timeline
6 March 2019
NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) was incorporated on as a public-sector undertaking under the Companies Act, 2013, wholly owned by the Government of India and…
10 June 2022
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) was announced by the Union Cabinet in June 2020 as part of the post-pandemic Atmanirb…
30 May 2024
In 2023, NSIL contracted with the Hyderabad-based startup Skyroot Aerospace and supported Chennai's Agnikul Cosmos, the latter conducting the first launch fr…
Positions at a glance
Supporters
The mechanics diverge further in their revenue and accountability structures. NSIL operates on a demand-driven model, signing commercial contracts with domestic and foreign customers and remitting surplus as a profit-making PSU; it absorbed the residual commercial mandate of Antrix Corporation, ISRO's older marketing arm established in 1992, with NSIL handling new business while Antrix manages legacy contracts and disputes. IN-SPACe charges no profit; it issues authorisations, recommends policy to the DoS, hand-holds NGEs through the decadal vision and strategy it published in 2023, and runs a single-window clearance portal. Where a private firm wishes to use ISRO intellectual property, the chain typically runs NGE → IN-SPACe authorisation → NSIL technology-transfer contract → ISRO support.
Opponents
The procedural logic flows from this codification. ISRO is directed to focus on research, development of advanced technologies, and space exploration, progressively transferring mature, operational systems to industry. IN-SPACe functions as the promoter and authoriser: any NGE — startup, established firm, or academic institution — seeking to build satellites, operate launch vehicles, establish ground stations, or disseminate remote-sensing data must obtain authorisation from IN-SPACe, which evaluates technical readiness, safety, and compliance with national security and international obligations. IN-SPACe also acts as the interface granting NGEs access to ISRO facilities, test beds, and data. NSIL, by contrast, is a commercial entity: it owns operational launch vehicles and satellites on a "build-to-own" or "build-to-operate" basis, markets launch services aboard the PSLV and LVM3, leases transponder capacity, and executes technology-transfer agreements transferring ISRO-developed know-how to industry against royalty or fee.
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In May 2024, after securing IN-SPACe authorisation, Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos conducted India's first launch from a private launchpad at Sriharikota, while NSIL handled ISRO's commercial LVM3 missions.
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