Space tech accelerator launched in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: Vaanam, a first of its kind space tech accelerator in the private sector in India, was launched here on Wednesday with an aim to support the space startup ecosystem in Tamil Nadu, which will house the country’s second rocket launchpad in Thoothukudi district. 

The space tech accelerator will be mentored by Nambi Narayanan, who was a scientist with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). 

The accelerator is an initiative of Hariharan Vedamurthy and Sameer Bharat Ram, was launched by Tamil Nadu Industries Minister T R B Raaja in the presence of Narayanan at an event here.

The accelerator will focus on space startups and entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu, which has produced many space scientists in the past.

The development close on the heels of the Tamil Nadu government planning to build a Space Industrial and Propellants Park spread over an area of 2,000 acres in  Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district, where the country’s second spaceport is coming up at a cost of Rs 950 crore. 

The project will come up in the next two years and the spaceport will exclusively serve the burgeoning small satellite sector with 100 per cent FDI being allowed in the space sector. 

With the global small satellite market projected to grow at a rapid pace across the globe, the state government believes the Space Industrial and Propellants Park will attract space-related manufacturing and research and development (R&D) firms.

Narayanan made a passionate appeal to educational institutions to partner with ISRO to train students from the beginning. “Many startups are doing what ISRO is doing. We need space startups to think out of the box,” Narayanan said. 

Raaja said Naan Mudhalvan, a skill development scheme for school and college students, is enabling youngsters to get training in many sectors like space. 

“We need to expose our kids to space tech as ISRO is doing an amazing job. We should encourage students to take up aerospace as a professional. Parents should also look at this sector,” Raaja added.

He also said achievements of ISRO and its scientists in school curriculum.