The space startup industry received a significant boost when Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced on Friday that it will launch its inaugural space accelerator program in India, choosing 24 firms from the country.
The selected startups operate in a range of space segments such as spacecraft propulsion, orbital and launch vehicles, satellite imagery, geospatial applications, weather analysis, and space tourism, among others.
These include, among others, a precision farming business based on satellite technology from Ahmedabad, Gujarat; a launch vehicle and sustainable satellite firm from Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu; and an advanced geospatial analysis startup from Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
“This is the fourth consecutive year that AWS has run a Space Accelerator programme, but the first one we’ve tied to one specific country”, Clint Crosier, Director of the Aerospace and Satellite division at AWS.
The programme is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that AWS, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) signed in 2023.
According to Crosier, the Indian space sector has “extraordinary growth opportunities,” which is why AWS selected India for the accelerator program. According to Crosier, in addition to a “record number of new Indian space startups forming, there is strong support from the government.”
Startups will receive specialized AWS training, devoted technical expertise, and technical and domain specialists’ mentoring during the 14-week program.
The startups who make the short list will also get assistance in developing and expanding their products, as well as AWS credits worth up to $100,000 total.
