Information Technology (IT) major Infosys is eyeing to enter the space tech sector as it has put forward its contention to build and launch satellites.
Infosys is reportedly among the six bidders shortlisted by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre’s (IN‑SPACe) Rs 1,500 Cr satellite constellation project to build and launch a constellation of earth observation (EO) satellites. The shortlisted teams include Infosys, space tech start‑up GalaxEye, SatSure, Pixxel, Dhruva Space and PierSight, Ananth Technologies, Solar Group and XDLINX, Astra, Bharat Electronics (BEL) and Sisir Radar, and Tata Advanced Systems and Centum.
IN‑SPACe has issued a draft request for proposal (RFP) to the shortlisted teams, requiring them to submit detailed financial and operational plans by the end of March. Only one team out of the shortlisted consortium will be selected for the project.
The Background
In July last year, the space agency issued an expression of interest (EoI) inviting bidders to plan, develop and launch a constellation of satellites equipped with microwave, multispectral, hyperspectral and achromatic imaging capabilities. By December, 30 organisations had submitted proposals for the project to IN‑SPACe.
The government is assessing the applications based on factors such as revenue, valuation and funding. IN‑SPACe is considering applicants who have raised at least Rs 85 crore in funding or Rs 42.5 crore for Indian startups. Additionally, eligible candidates must have maintained an average turnover of Rs 200 crore for at least two years or possess a valuation of Rs 850 crore.
Infosys in SpaceTech
Infosys has recently marked its entry into the space tech industry by investing $2 million in GalaxEye through its venture arm, Infosys Innovation Fund. Founded in 2021 by Suyash Singh, Denil Chawda, Kishan Thakkar, Pranit Mehta and Rakshit Bhatt, GalaxEye is developing the world's first multisensor Earth observation (EO) satellite along with a constellation of domestic mini satellites featuring advanced data fusion capabilities.
Government organisations heavily depend on geospatial data for their operations, and while ISRO has traditionally been the primary provider, the commercial sector is expected to play a larger role in the future. If selected, Infosys and its partners could benefit from space data and related services, enhancing their presence in the global geospatial market. Experts suggest that this could further support Infosys' clients in driving data‑driven business transformation.
“The interesting thing about the program is that the government will merely extend financial support and it wants the private sector to manage end‑to‑end design, building and operating the satellite constellation. It is a big boost to the winning team in terms of the scale of geospatial data they will have access to once their satellites are up,” a space sector executive said.
