Karnataka has plans to generate over USD 17 billion in economic value in space technology, as per Dr. Ekroop Caur, Secretary of the Department of IT and BT.
Speaking at the Bengaluru Space Expo 2024, she mentioned the state’s role in driving the country’s space ambitions. She stressed Karnataka’s 40 per cent share of India’s national space market and detailed the support available for space startups through innovative policies and programmes designed to propel the sector to new heights.
“We aim to create over USD 17 billion in economic value by leveraging our 40 per cent share of the national market,” she said.
Dr. Caur noted that the government’s goal is to make the state a global hub for space technology development, driven by a robust ecosystem of government policies, MSME support, and infrastructure investments.
Complementing these efforts, the state is establishing a Centre of Excellence for space technologies to foster innovation and provide resources for startups and enterprises. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance aerospace and defense manufacturing through new facilities and educational collaborations that aim to produce a skilled workforce for the growing sector.
Priyank Kharge, Karnataka’s Minister of IT, BT said, “As a hosting state, Karnataka has built a robust ecosystem of government policies, MSME support, and infrastructure development to achieve this.”
In a testament to the growing capabilities of Karnataka’s space tech sector, Bengaluru-based startup Pixxel recently secured a landmark contract with NASA. The agreement, part of NASA's USD 476 million commercial small satellite data acquisition programme.