Synopsis
Here is a summary of the key points from the paper:
- The article discusses India’s new Space Policy 2023 and how it aims to strengthen India’s space innovation system through military-civil fusion (MCF).
- It provides background on the space race in the Indo-Pacific region between the US and China. China is pursuing MCF to advance its military capabilities using civilian technology.
- China’s MCF strategy involves fusing its defense and civilian technology sectors, leveraging innovations across sectors, cultivating military and civilian expertise, and mobilizing society and the economy for competition and war.
- India lacks a coherent MCF strategy compared to China. The new Space Policy attempts to address this by reforming institutions, allowing more private sector participation, and enabling foreign collaborations.
- The policy transitions ISRO to focus on R&D while privatizing manufacturing. It empowers IN-SPACe as a single window for authorizing private space activities.
- The goal is to establish India as a preferred provider of space products/services globally. This will be done through industry clusters, private participation across the space value chain, and partnerships.
- The policy aims to strengthen India’s space security, enable technology transfer, and balance against China’s growing space capabilities. Overall, it represents a shift towards military-civil fusion.