After opening the space sector to private players, the Department of Space has now approved setting up common technical facilities in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, marking a major push to promote indigenous
manufacturing of space systems and spur private participation.
The state governments of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have already identified land parcels for setting up the plug-and-play manufacturing clusters exclusively for space activities in their respective states. The common technical facilities will be established within these manufacturing clusters. While the Space Manufacturing Park will come up at Khoraj, Gujarat, the Tamil Nadu government will build the Space Vehicles Cluster in Thoothukudi for manufacturing, testing and integration of launch vehicle systems.
“Private space industries, including start-ups, MSMEs and large industries, will be able to access these facilities without having to invest and operate similar facilities in their own premises. The two clusters have already garnered strong industry interest, backed by investment commitments and participation from private sector players,” said Dr Pawan Kumar Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, adding that about ten states have expressed interest in establishing similar space manufacturing clusters.
Both facilities will be commissioned within a defined financial framework, with IN-SPACe supporting the technical infrastructure, while the state governments will provide the land, the civil construction required for housing the equipment, and the overall civic infrastructure.
The Gujarat government has already identified a land parcel near Ahmedabad to develop a space manufacturing cluster to focus on “Spacecraft, Payload Systems and Space-based Applications”, and support end-to-end development and testing of spacecraft components and payloads. In line with this, the Space Manufacturing Park at Khoraj will house advanced, capital-intensive infrastructure required for spacecraft systems’ realisation. “It is not merely an infrastructure project. The Park, equipped with curated state-of-the-art common facilities, will be a strategic enabler for rapid growth of Space Tech manufacturing,” said Manoj Kumar Das (IAS), Chief Secretary, Gujarat.
While the Tamil Nadu government has proposed to establish a space vehicles cluster in Thoothukudi for manufacturing, testing and integration of launch vehicle systems. It will be located near the upcoming small vehicle launch complex (SLC) at Kulasekharapatnam. The cluster is positioned to support the growing demand for small launch vehicles, and the facility will cater to critical manufacturing and integration requirements, including structural testing, propulsion validation, and full-system integration.
It is also part of the state’s long-term vision to build a strong industrial base for launch vehicle manufacturing and attract investments into the space sector. The state government through Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (TIDCO) will provide the necessary land for building this facility. “The Department of Space has sanctioned Rs 100 crore to set up the Space Vehicle Common Testing Facility Centre (SV CTFC) in Thoothukudi. It will be a critical asset for fulfilling our vision of making Tamil Nadu a space industry manufacturing hub. The advanced equipment will enable launch vehicle assembling, satellite assembling and advanced testing of various components and will be immensely helpful for the manufacturers in the space sector, particularly space tech start-ups,” said Dr M Sai Kumar, IAS, Chief Secretary, Tamil Nadu.
IN-SPACe will play a key role in procuring, installing, and commissioning the technical infrastructure, operating the facilities for a defined period, and subsequently transferring ownership to the respective state governments. The agency is also supporting states in the conceptualisation and development of dedicated Space Manufacturing Clusters (SMCs).
