India is preparing to open its upcoming second spaceport to private management, marking another major shift in the country's approach to its growing space sector. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is building the facility in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district, but a private Indian company is expected to eventually operate it.
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), through Isro, has invited Expressions of Interest (EOI) from eligible Indian private entities to operate and manage the Space Launch Complex (SLC). The decision, taken under the Indian Space Policy 2023 framework, raises an obvious question: Why should a strategic national facility built by Isro be handed over to a private operator?
Built With Private Launches In Mind
According to IN-SPACe Director Technical and Distinguished Scientist Rajeev Jyoti, the answer lies in the purpose of the new spaceport. The facility is being developed primarily to serve India's expanding private space industry.
"The rationale is that this launchport is primarily meant to serve private space companies," Jyoti told India Today.
Launch operators expected to use the facility include startups and private launch providers such as Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which has already been handed over the newly developed Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), is also expected to be among the operators.
With private companies likely to account for much of the activity at the facility, putting its operations in private hands appears to be the logical next step in the government's policy of giving industry a bigger role in India's space programme.
One Launch Every Two Weeks
The government's ambitions for the new spaceport go well beyond creating an alternative launch site. The aim is to achieve a launch roughly every two weeks, or nearly 24 launches a year.
"This is a very large facility, spread over more than 2,000 acres," Jyoti said.
The complex will include launch vehicle integration facilities, tracking infrastructure, radars and other systems needed for launch operations. Running infrastructure on this scale will require a company with the resources and expertise to handle complex operations consistently.
The private operator, however, will not build rockets. Its job will be to manage the spaceport's infrastructure, services and day-to-day operations.
"We need a company capable of managing such a vast and complex facility properly," Jyoti said.
IN-SPACe has included safeguards in the selection process to ensure that only companies with adequate resources and operational capabilities qualify.
Handover Will Be Gradual
The spaceport is expected to be ready by the end of the current financial year. After completing the EOI and Request for Proposal (RFP) processes, IN-SPACe expects to select a private operator and complete the handover within a year.
That does not mean Isro and IN-SPACe will simply step away once a private company takes charge. The transition will be gradual, with safety and regulatory oversight remaining firmly in place.
"There are specific safety guidelines and compliance requirements that have to be followed. IN-SPACe will continue to play a role in monitoring operations and ensuring all guidelines are followed," Jyoti said.
The selected operator will also undergo an initial training and hand-holding phase during the first launches. The idea is to build confidence in the company's ability to run the facility while ensuring that operations continue to meet Isro's safety standards.
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Isro Steps Back From Routine Operations
The decision reflects a wider change in India's space strategy. Instead of keeping every aspect of the space programme within Isro, the government wants private industry to take on more operational and commercial responsibilities.
The approach could allow Isro to devote more attention and resources to advanced research, deep-space exploration and next-generation missions, while private companies concentrate on increasing commercial launch activity.
Handing over the operation of such a large spaceport to a private company is significant, and its success will depend heavily on the capability of the operator and the strength of regulatory oversight. But the logic behind the move is clear: if India's private space industry is expected to launch more rockets and compete in the commercial market, it will also have to shoulder greater responsibility for the infrastructure that makes those launches possible.
