PM’s idea of SAARC satellite merits attention
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of satellite diplomacy in South Asia, proffered after India's Polar Satellite launch Vehicle fired five foreign satellites into space on June 30, is an innovative one. If successful, it will bring two-fold benefits: First, it will reiterate India's position as the natural leader in South Asia and second, reap crores in commercial profits for the country. The diplomatic aspect will, of course, be in keeping with the Modi administration's neighbourhood focus. Equally importantly, it will also be a crucial step towards greater regional integration. This, in turn, will bring benefits to all the peoples of South Asia. One example of this, as the Prime Minister himself mentioned, is the telemedicine link that India shares with Afghanistan which delivers Indian expertise (directly from super-speciality hospitals in this country) to healthcare providers in Afghan cities. From a commercial point of view, satellite diplomacy will allow India a larger share in the lucrative global satellite launch market. With overall annual revenue pegged at $195.2 billion for 2013 alone, this market is expected to grow by at least 15 per cent in the following years. For now, the industry is dominated by European players who get at least half the contracts. The rest go to China and Russia. But as the market grows, and new clients come in, especially from the developing world, there will be a demand for new providers. India is best placed to respond. Sunday's launch, the 26th consecutive successful flight of the PSlV-C23, shows that the Indian Space Research Organisation has a reliable workhorse at its command. It has already launched satellites for 35 countries, mostly from Europe and Canada. The other thing that India has going for itself is the cost factor. According to some reports, Antrix, the commercial arm of Isro, charges at least 25 per cent less than other leading launch services. This makes India an especially attractive option not only for its South Asian neighbours but also the cost-conscious nations of latin America and Africa.
However, if India is to make the most of this opportunity in commercial space activities, it can't be complacent about the success of the PSlV, a light-weight vehicle. While securing business suitable for the PSlV in the short term, Isro has to operationalise its Geosynchronous Satellite launch Vehicle which can carry greater load, in the long term. The GSlV-D5 launched earlier this year and powered by an indigenous cryogenic engine is an important step but even that can carry less than two tonnes of payload. Additionally, if India has to emerge as a market leader, the Government has to streamline business processes and remove legal and political bottlenecks (which, for instance, have hampered China's growth even though it has better technology). Finally, as business grows, private players will have to be brought in to take the load off Isro, which ultimately is a research organisation, not a commercial outfit.