Isro launches 3 more space tech incubation centres to promote innovation by students | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: To give a platform to budding space entrepreneurs, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has inaugurated three space technology incubation centres (S-TICs) at National Institute of Technologies at Nagpur, Bhopal and Rourkela.
As reported by TOI, the space agency has already opened three such centres at NITs Agartala, Jalandhar and Tiruchirappalli to “explore the entrepreneurship skill” of students in the space domain, and they are functional now.
With the launch of three new S-TICs by Isro chairman K Sivan through a virtual programme on Thursday, the space agency’s goal of opening one such centre in each six regions of the country has been accomplished. For the three new incubation centres, Isro has signed an MoU with Visvesvaraya NIT, Nagpur, Maulana Azad NIT, Bhopal and NIT, Rourkela.
The S-TIC concept is conceived with one selected major academic institute taking the lead role in a particular region and providing opportunities to final-year graduate, postgraduate and research scholars as “future budding entrepreneurs”, the Isro chairman was quoted in a statement.
Projects of practical relevance linked to ongoing or future missions of Isro will be made available to students at S-TICs, and their research outcome will be translated into a proof-of-concept or prototype through industries within their region, Isro said.
Besides S-TICs, Isro has also set up several space technology cells in collaboration with educational institutes. Talking to TOI earlier, Sivan said, “These centres will push R&D in space technologies and give a platform to talented youths across the country to come up with bright ideas and do research in those ideas for developing space technologies.”
Isro scientific secretary R Umamaheswaran wished that these S-TICs will produce many space entrepreneurs and space leaders, who will potentially be able to mark the human footprints in deep space.
The S-TIC at VNIT Nagpur will be the focal centre for the western region and cover states Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and UTs of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. Similarly, S-TIC at MANIT, Bhopal will cover Chhattisgarh, MP and UP, and the space centre at NIT, Rourkela will be the key centre for Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bengal and UT of A&N.
The Isro chief also released ‘YUKTI-Sanchita 2021’ (Youth Upgradation by Knowledge Transformation through Incubators – Sanchita), a compilation of 108 product development and innovative project proposals from centres, labs and units of Isro.
“It can be referred by the academia, industry and start-ups to prepare a detailed proposal for execution of projects. This is one of the major steps by Isro to achieve the development and indigenisation of space grade components, products, processes in tandem with objectives of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, the agency stated.