NEW DELHI: The Indian government has selected 15 projects to utilise satellites and help solve issues like crop failure and flooding, while also improving the country’s disaster preparedness and monitoring water security.
India’s space sector has made remarkable strides in recent years, from launching satellites and missions to opening the industry to private players. But one challenge remains.
The sector is still working to ensure that space technology and satellite data are translated into practical solutions that directly benefit people on the ground.
To help bridge that gap, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has announced the winners of five space technology use-cases under its Seed Fund Scheme.
The initiative is designed to support innovative applications of space technology in sectors such as agriculture, disaster management, water security and critical infrastructure.
The announcement of the winners followed a technical evaluation of 92 proposals by a panel comprising experts, representatives from various agencies, and experts from Isro and IN-SPACe. In the end, 15 organisations have been selected to carry out pilot demonstrations.
PROTECTING CROPS TO STOPPING FLOODS
The selected firms will work on five key use-cases identified by IN-SPACe.
For pest and disease forewarning and early detection of crop stress, Infosys Limited, Bhoomicam and AgCane Science & Services have been chosen.
The goal is to use satellite data and related technologies to help farmers detect problems with crops before they become widespread.
Another set of companies, including JalViks, Nansei Restoration and Semantic Technologies and Agritech Services, will explore applications based on data from the upcoming Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite mission.
Meanwhile, Biosky Space Innovations, Quantasip Geomatic Informative Solutions and Vassar Labs IT Solutions will develop decision-support systems for power sector installations and Right of Way management.
Vassar Labs, EarthSense Labs and Suhora Technologies have also been selected to work for monitoring water reservoirs.
BUILDING A SECTOR
The fifth use-case focuses on Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) monitoring and Early Warning Systems.
Vassar Labs IT Solutions, Prithvi Anusandhan and Infosys Limited will undertake pilot demonstrations aimed at improving disaster preparedness in vulnerable regions.
Calling the initiative a milestone for India’s space sector, IN-SPACe Chairman Dr Pawan Kumar Goenka said the downstream segment represents “the most direct interface between space capabilities and citizen benefit” and will form a significant part of India’s projected $44-billion space economy.
He added that successful pilot projects could eventually receive operational orders from user agencies, helping transform proof-of-concept projects into large-scale national programmes.
IN-SPACe said it plans to launch additional use-cases in the future, further expanding opportunities for startups and private companies to use space technologies to address national priorities while contributing to India’s growing space economy.
Agencies