Karnataka has released a five year space technology policy aiming to capture 50% of India’s space market, pegged at $22 billion by 2033, while also targeting 5% of the global market. The policy plans to turn the state into a full-stack space hub with capabilities across the upstream and downstream value chain.
The plan focuses on creating a skilled force of 50,000 people, including 15,000 women, through training programmes for school students, diploma holders, graduates and young professionals. Colleges will get support to set up labs, upgrade courses and run space tech modules with ISRO and IN-SPACe.
The state aims for $3 billion in cumulative investments during the policy period. Investments under ₹100 crore will get 20% subsidy on plant and machinery, 25% subsidy on five acres of land, rent reimbursement for five years, stamp duty exemption, concessional registration charges, full land conversion fee reimbursement, 50% ETP subsidy and full electricity duty exemption for five years.
Larger investments above ₹100 crore will get special packages.
Dedicated space manufacturing parks will be set up with plug-and-play units and common testing facilities. Karnataka will create a single window space technology cell and push PPP-based test centres to address long wait times for testing at national facilities.
The policy also sets aside support for 500 startups and MSMEs. They will get funding through Elevate and venture funds like KITVEN, technology acquisition reimbursement up to ₹75 lakh, quality certification support up to ₹75 lakh, testing reimbursement up to ₹1 crore, patent support up to ₹10 lakh for international filings, global marketing support up to ₹1.5 crore, and research support up to ₹75 lakh.
Startups will also get provident fund (PF) and employees’ state insurance (ESI) reimbursement of ₹1,800 per employee per month for two years, and internship support capped at ₹30 lakh. A special grant of up to ₹1 crore will be offered for biotech space research.
The government will push the adoption of space technologies in governance through KSRAC. An interdepartmental panel will shortlist use cases across agriculture, mining, water, forest and disaster management. Leading universities will get grants to build AI-based earth observation models.
The policy will run for five years once notified and will only be available to firms registered under KITS with IN SPACe authorisation or vendor credentials to ISRO or global OEMs.
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