New partnerships powering India’s space aspirations: Former Isro chief

International collaborations and increased engagement with the private industry have set India on course for a significant presence in the global space economy, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) A S Kiran Kumar said here on Tuesday.

He was speaking at a discussion on sustainable Indo-US partnerships in the aerospace and defence sectors. The NASA-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), the Low Earth Orbit observatory being jointly developed by NASA and Isro, is a pointer to India’s push for partnerships with countries with advanced space capabilities.

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Isro’s engagement with the private industry has led to innovations, including a 3D-printed rocket engine, and brought in a new “dynamism” to the sector, Kumar said. The event was organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Karnataka.

Jonathan Heimer, Minister-Counsellor for Commercial Affairs, US Embassy, New Delhi, said that India and the US were set to have deeper discussions on potential collaborations in the aerospace and defence sectors over the next six months to a year.

Heimer said a large number of Indian aerospace companies were investing in the US, as reflected in the Indian turnout — “the largest delegation from around the world” — at this year’s SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington DC.