TIDCO floats RFP for Space Industrial Park & Propellants Park in TN

The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to prepare a feasibility report for the establishment of a Space Industrial Park and Propellants Park near Thoothukudi. The proposed launch site in Kulasekarapattinam will be used by private companies to launch small satellites into orbit. The project involves acquiring 2,376 acres of land, including 141 acres of government land in Kulasekarapattinam. TIDCO has been designated as the nodal agency to implement the Defence Industrial Corridor project and promote aerospace and defence industries in the State. The Indian space program has been developing satellites for communication, remote sensing, and space transportation systems. Two major operational systems are the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) for telecommunication, television broadcasting, and meteorological services and the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) for natural resource monitoring and disaster management.

In 2020, the government allowed private companies to enter the space industry, allowing ISRO to focus on scientific missions. The proposed industrial parks are expected to ease supply chain constraints for the upstream activities of Kulasekarapattinam spaceport and link with related industries in Tamil Nadu, such as electronics, mechanical structures, and propulsion chemicals. The global small satellite market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.4% and reach $13,711.7 million by 2030 from $3,215.9 million in 2020.