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The Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology (ITBT) is set to highlight Karnataka's commitment to innovation and development in space technology at the Bengaluru Space Expo 2024.
Priyank Kharge, Minister for IT, BT, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, reinforced Karnataka's reputation as a space powerhouse during his address at the inauguration ceremony. "As a hosting state, Karnataka has built a robust ecosystem of government policies, MSME support, and infrastructure development to achieve this," he stated. The expo will take place from September 18-20, 2024. Ekroop Caur, Secretary, Department of IT and BT, Government of Karnataka, delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the state's role as a driving force in the industry. She detailed the support available for startups in space technology and business through innovative policies and programs. The Government of Karnataka will showcase its pivotal role in the industry and its vision to make the state a hub for future space technology development. "We aim to create over USD 17 billion in economic value by leveraging our 40% share of the national market," she noted. A key initiative includes the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for space technologies to support startups and enterprises. The state is enhancing its aerospace and defence manufacturing through new facilities and collaborations with educational institutions to ensure a skilled workforce. A separate state policy for the space sector is also in the works to spur investment and innovation. Minister for IT Priyank Kharge said, "We are evaluating with the industrialists, talking to industry bodies, policy advocacy, industry groups. We are talking to startups and MSMEs and trying to understand the challenges that they face and we're taking a lot of feedback on what are the things that we can do at the state level to ensure that we provide a very agile ecosystem for them to flourish. We have had multiple rounds of conversation. Probably in the next couple of months, a draft call is going to be up and running...I think space tourism is not the focus of the Karnataka government as of now. We are really keen on downstream applications of the space tech and also the upstream. We have been fairly concentrated only on skilling, research and development, incubation, giving startups opportunities." Significantly, Bengaluru-based space tech startup Pixxel has recently secured a groundbreaking contract with NASA, joining their USD 476 million commercial smallsat data acquisition program. This milestone underscores Karnataka's evolution from ISRO's home to a vibrant space startup hub, reaffirming its global leadership in the sector. The Bengaluru Space Expo 2024 will serve as a platform to showcase advancements in space technology while reiterating the state's commitment to fulfilling India's ambitious space goals. (ANI)
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