Image of Adani Group building. File
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji

”The Adani Group is planning to invest ₹7.5 lakh crore across sectors in Rajasthan,” a senior company official said on Monday (December 9, 2024).

While speaking at the Rising Rajasthan Summit Adani Ports and Special Economical Zone (SEZ), managing director Karan Adani said, “50% of the total investment will be made within the next five years.”

“Adani Group plans to invest over ₹7.5 lakh crore across various sectors,” he said.

He said that the company plans to build the world’s largest integrated dream energy ecosystem involving 100 gigawatt of renewable energy, 2 million tonnes of Hydrogen and 1.8 gigawatt related to hydro projects.

“These investments will build Rajasthan into an oasis of green jobs,” Mr. Adani said.

The latest order takes the total number of aircraft that Air India has ordered with Airbus over the past two years to 350. File
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Air India on Monday confirmed that it placed an order to purchase 100 more Airbus aircraft, which include 10 widebody A350 and 90 narrowbody A320 Family aircraft. 

Airbus, in its order and delivery report published early October, disclosed that it had booked 235 orders from customers, including 85 from an undisclosed buyer on September 5. This was likely followed by two more orders in October.

These 100 new aircraft are in addition to the firm orders of 470 aircraft that Air India had placed with Airbus and Boeing last year, of which it has taken the delivery of 6 A350s and 35 B737-8s leaving it with 529 deliveries.

The latest order takes the total number of aircraft that Air India has ordered with Airbus over the past two years to 350. Its Airbus order last year of 250 planes included 40 A350 and 210 A320 Family aircraft. The 220 Boeing planes orders in 2023 included 190 737 MAXs, 20 787 Dreamliners and 10 777X jets.

The airline didn’t reveal the delivery timeline for the 100 new planes. It CEO Campbell Wilson recently said that the airline expected slower deliveries in 2025, and would grow its fleet by a third to 400 aircraft till 2027.

Airbus has a backlog of 8,769 aircraft and Boeing had a backlog of 6,259 planes in March. According to an analysis by CAPA based on 2023 delivery rates, the global order backlog was equivalent of 12 years of production.

Donald Trump slammed what he called unfair fees for U.S. ships passing through the Panama Canal. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday (December 21, 2024) slammed what he called unfair fees for U.S. ships passing through the Panama Canal and threatened to demand control of the waterway be returned to Washington.

He also hinted at China’s growing influence around the canal, a worrying trend for American interests as US businesses depend on the channel to move goods between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Also Read | China widens trade highway in South America with new mega port project

“Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous,” he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

“This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop.” he added.

The Panama Canal, which was completed by the United States in 1914, was returned to the Central American country under a 1977 deal signed by Democratic president Jimmy Carter.

Panama took full control in 1999.

“It was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else,” Mr. Trump said. “We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands!”

He continued that if Panama could not ensure “the secure, efficient and reliable operation” of the channel, “then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question.”

Authorities in Panama did not immediately react to Mr. Trump’s post.

Although he does not officially take office until next month, Mr. Trump has nevertheless been flexing his political influence in the waning days of President Joe Biden’s administration.

The real estate mogul boasted on the campaign trail that as an entrepreneur, he was uniquely positioned to fight for U.S. business interests.

An estimated 5% of global maritime traffic passes through the Panama Canal, which allows ships travelling between Asia and the U.S. East Coast to avoid the long, hazardous route around the southern tip of South America.

The main users of the passage are the United States, China, Japan and South Korea.

The Panama Canal Authority reported in October that the waterway had earned record revenues of nearly $5 billion in the last fiscal year.

Photo used for representation purpose only.

Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce platform, has signed an MoU with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to support and empower tech start-ups in India.

Aimed at encouraging the growth of innovators and entrepreneurs, the partnership would build on existing efforts under the Flipkart Leap and Ventures initiative with its $100 million fund, said Flipkart in a statement on Monday (December 9, 2024).

Till date, the e-tailer invested in 20 companies in the country and continued to identify startups with high growth potential, it said.

Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group, said, “This MoU reflects our shared goal of empowering startups through strategic support, resource access, and global market connections.’‘

According to the communique, this collaboration will enable access for startups to industry reports, research papers, datasets and other studies published by government authorities for market research and fast-track patent applications filed by startups for timely opportunities.

‘’We are happy to partner with Flipkart to bolster our focus on creating a thriving environment for startups to scale new heights,’‘ commented Sumeet Jarangal, Director DPIIT.

Under the Flipkart Ventures initiative, startups would be offered resources, guidance, and support for different milestones, such as prototype development, infrastructural support, network access and insights for international expansions.

‘’With the continued association and combined synergies, Flipkart was looking at unlocking opportunities for entrepreneurs with its $100 million venture fund to pioneer breakthroughs that shape the future of technology and business in India and beyond, added Mr. Kumar.

The story so far:

The Government is preparing to introduce several significant bills aimed at driving much-needed reforms in the shipping industry. Key among them are the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024 and the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, both of which promise to bring transformative changes to boost the sector.

Why a new bill?

The Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, and the Coasting Vessels Act, 1838, which the new bills aim to repeal, have become outdated and fail to address the contemporary needs of the merchant marine sector. Significant regulatory gaps exist, particularly for vessels operating in the offshore sector which comprise nearly 50% of Indian-flagged vessels. Furthermore, maritime training was liberalised allowing private sector participation, yet there is no legal framework in the existing Act to regulate their activities effectively.

The Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, also restricts seafarers’ welfare provisions to Indian-flagged ships, despite 85% of the 2,80,000 active Indian seafarers working on foreign-flagged vessels. Additionally, the Act lacks enabling provisions for implementing certain international conventions that India has signed or plans to ratify. Crucially, the outdated, license-era provisions of the Act have become a roadblock to modernising maritime administration, which needs to transition from being a mere regulator to a regulator-cum-facilitator, thereby promoting the ‘ease of doing business.’

What are the features of the Merchant Shipping Bill?

The Merchant Shipping Bill introduces significant changes to modernise India’s maritime framework, drawing upon the best practices of leading maritime jurisdictions like the U.K., Norway, and Singapore. Some of the key reform measures include:

i) Ease of registration: the existing law restricts vessel registration to entities with 100% Indian ownership. The new Bill proposes significant reforms to attract foreign investment. It also reduces the ownership threshold for Indian citizens/entities from 100% to 51%, enabling more flexibility. It allows Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) to own and register Indian vessels. This is in line with the law of the U.S. where Green card holders are permitted to own American flagships or Singapore law where permanent residents can own ships of their flags. It also permits foreign entities to hold shares in Indian vessels while ensuring majority ownership remains with Indian entities, NRIs, or OCIs.

Additionally, the Bill allows the registration of vessels chartered by Indian entities under the bareboat charter-cum-demise, enabling entrepreneurs to acquire ownership of vessels at the end of the charter period. This provision, particularly beneficial for capital-deficient entrepreneurs, facilitates entry into the shipping industry without upfront investment.

India is the second largest ship recycling centre after Bangladesh, and the ship recycling industry practises the concept of cash purchase of the vessel before it is brought for demolition. Often it becomes difficult for cash buyers to register the vessels for their final voyage, as they no more remain ‘seaworthy’. To address challenges faced by the ship recycling industry, the Bill introduces provisions for temporary registration of vessels destined for demolition. This measure is expected to bolster activities at India’s ship recycling hubs like Alang.

ii) Enlarging the scope of vessels: the existing Act regulates only mechanised ships (engine-fitted vessels) above a certain size, leaving smaller mechanised vessels and all non-mechanised vessels outside its ambit. This regulatory gap has allowed many vessels to operate without adequate oversight. India’s offshore drilling sector gained prominence in 1974 when Sagar Samrat, a merchant vessel designed for exploratory offshore drilling, drilled the first well in Bombay High. Since then, the offshore sector has employed a diverse range of mechanised and non-mechanised vessels, such as accommodation barges, work barges, submersibles, and drones. However, these vessels remain either unregulated or inadequately regulated under the current framework, exposing the sector to operational and safety risks.

The new Bill seeks to address this issue by expanding the definition of ‘vessels’ to uniformly include a wide range of crafts, including submersibles, semi-submersibles, hydrofoils, non-displacement crafts, amphibious crafts, wing-in-ground crafts, pleasure crafts, barges, lighters, Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs), and Mobile Offshore Units (MOUs), whether mechanised or not. This definition is expected to enhance transparency and ensure comprehensive regulatory oversight in the offshore sector.

Furthermore, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, which exploited gaps in maritime security, underscored the urgent need for stricter regulation of all categories of vessels. By empowering authorities to issue instructions to all types of vessels, the new Bill aims to strengthen coastal security, making India’s coastline safer and more secure.

What about marine pollution?

The Government has recently undertaken several initiatives to minimise pollution from shipping activities. Some of the measures include reducing the sulphur content in marine fuel from 3.5% to less than 0.5%, banning the use of single-use plastics on Indian ships, and launching the online portal ‘Swachh Sagar’ to facilitate the proper disposal of ship-generated waste at Indian ports.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted several conventions aimed at preventing and combating marine pollution, such as the Civil Liability Convention (CLC), the Convention on Limitation of Liability on Maritime Claims (LLMC), the Bunker Convention, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), and the Wreck Removal Convention. The existing law, however, has either omitted or partially implemented these conventions. The new Bill fully incorporates these international conventions, aligning India’s maritime regulatory framework with global standards. This comprehensive approach reinforces India’s commitment to combating marine pollution and safeguarding the maritime environment for sustainable shipping practices.

What are provisions for seafarers’?

The remarkable growth in the number of Indian seafarers employed on foreign-flagged ships over the last 7-8 years stands out as one of the biggest success stories in Indian merchant shipping. The workforce has grown from 1,16,000 in 2015-16 to 2,85,000 today, with nearly 85% of these seafarers serving on foreign-flagged vessels.

However, the existing Act lacks provisions for the welfare and safety of this vast workforce working on foreign-flagged vesels. The proposed Bill addresses this gap by extending the scope of welfare measures initiated by the Union government to include Indian seafarers working on foreign-flagged ships as well. Furthermore, it seeks to extend the protections and benefits outlined in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) to all Indian seafarers, ensuring better working conditions, safety standards, and support systems for those contributing to the global maritime industry.

What about maritime training?

Under Entry 25 of List 1 (Union List) of the Constitution, the Union Government is responsible for the education and training of the mercantile marine and the regulation of such education and training provided by States and other agencies. In the past, maritime training was primarily conducted by government-run institutions directly under the administrative control of the maritime regulator, the Director General of Shipping. Consequently, there was no need for a specific legal framework to regulate these institutions.

However, following economic liberalisation, maritime training was opened to the private sector. Today, over 160 maritime training institutes operate across the country, yet their activities are governed solely by rules, government orders, and notifications rather than an enabling legal framework. This regulatory gap has allowed unauthorised institutes to operate without obtaining proper approvals, making it challenging for the maritime administration to take action against offenders.

The proposed Bill seeks to address this significant anomaly by introducing clear legal provisions for regulating maritime training in line with the constitutional mandate. This step is expected to eliminate illegal maritime training institutes and associated fraudulent practices, which often exploit unsuspecting rural youth, while ensuring the delivery of high-quality, standardised maritime education nationwide.

Is there a focus on coastal shipping?

The Government has taken a significant step by distinguishing between the technical regulation of ships and the commercial utilisation of Indian coastal waters, removing provisions related to the latter from the Merchant Shipping Act. These aspects, including licensing, permissions for operations along the Indian coast and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), creation of a coastal plan involving the Union and States, and the integration of inland and coastal shipping, have been incorporated into the proposed Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024. This focused approach aims to foster growth and development of the Indian coastal sector.

The move aligns with the Government’s flagship ‘Sagarmala’ program, which emphasises the promotion of coastal shipping through initiatives like dedicated berths for coastal vessels and enhanced hinterland connectivity for coastal cargo movement. Infrastructure development and a robust regulatory framework must progress simultaneously, making the introduction of the Coastal Shipping Bill both timely and essential.

Maritime development, like any developmental initiative, should remain bipartisan and above party politics. By fostering investment, enhancing safety, combating marine pollution, and supporting seafarers’ welfare, the proposed reforms promise to unlock the true potential of India’s maritime sector.

Amitabh Kumar is Former Director General Shipping, Government of India. Views expressed are personal.

नई द‍िल्‍ली. आपके साथ ऐसा कई बार होता होगा क‍ि कार या बाइक की चाबी कहीं रख दी और जरूरत पड़ने पर वो म‍िलती ही नहीं है. ये मोबाइल के साथ भी होता है. सोफे पर रखे तक‍िए के नीचे मोबाइल छ‍िपा बैठा रहता है और आप उसे पूरे घर में ढूंढ लेते हैं, लेक‍िन वो म‍िल नहीं पाता. ऐसा आपके साथ ही नहीं, हम सभी के साथ होता है. आपकी इस मुश्‍क‍िल का हल न‍िकालने के ल‍िए ज‍ियो ने अपना JioTag Go लॉन्‍च क‍िया है, जो गूगल के फाइंड माय ड‍िवाइस को सपोर्ट करता है. ये आपको आपकी कई चीजें ढूंढने में मदद करेगा.

JioTag Go: क्‍या है फीचर?
JioTag Go को इस तरह से बनाया गया है क‍ि ये आपके सामान, जैसे क‍ि चाबियां, पर्स, सामान और बहुत कुछ को ट्रैक कर सकता है. इसमें ब्लूटूथ v5.3 कनेक्टिविटी है और यह CR2032 बैटरी पर चलता है. आप इसका इस्‍तेमाल 1 साल तक कर सकते हैं.

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ब्लूटूथ रेंज में होने पर यूजर Find My Device ऐप के जर‍िए प्ले साउंड ऑप्‍शन को एक्‍ट‍िव कर सकते हैं, जिससे ट्रैकर बीप की आवाज न‍िकालने लगता है और आप आसानी से अपनी चीज तक पहुंच सकते हैं. अगर ट्रैकर ब्लूटूथ रेंज से बाहर है, तो ऐप Find My Device नेटवर्क का उपयोग करके मैप पर उसका लास्‍ट लोकेशन दिखाता है, साथ ही उस जगह तक पहुंचने के लिए नेविगेशन भी द‍िखाता है.

ये ड‍िवाइस बहुत ही कॉम्पैक्ट है और इसका वजन भी बेहद कम है इसल‍िए इसे साथ लेकर चलना भी आसान है. हालांकि, JioTag Go केवल Android 9 या उसके बाद के वर्जन चलाने वाले Android स्मार्टफ़ोन को ही सपोर्ट करता है. iPhone यूजर्स इसका इस्‍तेमाल नहीं कर सकते.

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आईफोन यूजर्स के लि‍ए कंपनी ने जुलाई में JioTag Air लॉन्‍च क‍िया था, जो Apple के फाइंड माय नेटवर्क के साथ कंपैट‍िबल है और ये iOS 14 और उसके बाद के सभी वर्जन को सपोट करता है. इन दोनों ड‍िवाइस के साथ ज‍ियो, इस मार्केट पर अपनी पकड़ बढ़ा रहा है.

1,499 रुपये की कीमत पर, JioTag Go, Apple के AirTag की तुलना में काफी सस्ता है. भारत में Apple के AirTag की कीमत 3,490 रुपये है.

Tags: Tech news, Tech news hindi

With exports outpacing imports, China’s trade surplus rose to USD 97.4 billion. File (Representational image)
| Photo Credit: Reuters

China’s exports slowed in November and its imports declined, falling below forecasts and underscoring potential weakness in trade at a time when its leaders are striving to boost the economy after the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Customs data on Tuesday (December 10, 2024) showed exports grew 6.7% from a year earlier, down from a 12.7% increase in October(2024). Analysts had estimated that exports had risen more than 8%.

Imports fell 3.9% from a year earlier(2023), reflecting weak demand from industries and consumers. With exports outpacing imports, China’s trade surplus rose to $97.4 billion. The report came a day after Beijing pledged to loosen monetary policy and provide more support for the world’s no. 2 economy.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to slap tariffs of 60% or more on imports of Chinese goods, complicating Beijing’s efforts by threatening an area of the economy that has performed relatively well. At the same time, the property sector remains in the doldrums and consumer spending remains fragile.

A bankruptcy Judge scrutinising The Onion’s bid for Alex Jones ’ Infowars platform was expected to hear a second day of testimony on Tuesday (December 10, 2024) after an auctioneer defended the satirical news outlet’s winning offer in November 2024.

It is not clear how quickly U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston will decide whether to approve the bid. The Onion, which wants to turn Infowars’ website and social media accounts into parodies, offered $1.75 million for Infowars’ assets in the auction.

Mr. Jones did not attend Monday’s (December 9, 2024) start of the key hearing and instead continued to broadcast from his studios in Austin.

Jeff Tanenbaum, president of ThreeSixty Asset Advisors, was grilled by lawyers for Mr. Jones and the company in a Houston courtroom on Monday (December 9, 2024) over how The Onion’s bid came to be valued at $7 million and why a live auction was not held. He defended both the value of the bid and its selection after the two sealed offers were opened.

Mr. Lopez could ultimately decide whether to void The Onion’s bid, name the Mr. Jones-affiliated company the winner or hold another auction, among other possibilities.

Mr. Jones and First United American Companies, which runs a website in Mr. Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements and submitted the other bid, are alleging fraud and collusion in the auction that concluded on Nov. 14, 2024. The trustee and The Onion deny the allegations, accusing Jones and the company of sour grapes. First United American Companies bid $3.5 million.

The sale of Infowars is part of Mr. Jones’ personal bankruptcy case, which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas filed by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. Mr. Jones repeatedly called the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators a hoax staged by actors and aimed at increasing gun control.

Most of the proceeds from the sale of Infowars, as well as many of Mr. Jones’ personal assets, will go to the Sandy Hook families to help satisfy judgments issued by Juries and Judges in State Courts in Connecticut and Texas. Some proceeds will go to Mr. Jones’ other creditors.

The Onion’s bid also included a pledge by many of the Sandy Hook families to forgot some or all of the auction proceeds due to them to give other creditors a total of $1,00,000 more than they would receive under other bids.

The trustee, Christopher Murray, chose The Onion, saying its proposal was better for creditors because they would receive more money. The Onion valued the bid, with the Sandy Hook families’ offer, at $7 million, because that amount was equal to a purchase price that would provide the same amount of money to the other creditors.

Mr. Tanenbaum testified that he agreed with the $7 million valuation and believed The Onion’s bid conformed to the auction rules.

A lawyer for Mr. Jones, Ben Broocks, asked Mr. Tanenbaum how it was possible that the Sandy Hook families’ offer boosted The Onion’s offer to such a high amount.

“It means the purchase price value has gone up because another purchase price would have to be higher than that value in order to provide the same net benefit to that group of creditors,” Mr. Tanenbaum said.

During his opening argument, Mr. Broocks said there was no way The Onion should have been chosen over First United American.

“How does a $1.75 million bid beat a $3.5 million bid?” he asked. “How is that $1.75 million greater? Well, it’s voodoo economics to use a phrase.”

Joshua Wolfshohl, an attorney for Mr. Murray, told the Judge on Monday (Dec. 9, 2024) that no wrongdoing occurred during the auction. He called the complaints by Mr. Jones and First United American Companies unfounded.

“The vast majority of their complaints are just fantastic, imagined conspiracy theories that have no basis in reality,” he said.

Mr. Murray, The Onion and the Sandy families deny allegations of wrongdoing. In his own Court filing, Mr. Murray called the allegations “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process.”

Up for sale at the auction were all the equipment and other assets in the Infowars studio in Austin, Texas, as well as its social media accounts, websites, video archive and product trademarks. Mr. Jones uses the studio to broadcast his far-right, conspiracy theory-filled shows on the Infowars website, his account on the social platform X and radio stations.

Mr. Jones has set up another studio, websites and social media accounts in case The Onion wins approval to buy Infowars and kicks him out. Mr. Jones has said he could continue using the Infowars platforms if the auction winner is friendly to him.

Mr. Jones is appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments citing free speech rights but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened.

The Reserve Bank has approved the open offer of Burman family — the promoters of FMCG major Dabur — to acquire an additional 26% stake in NBFC firm Religare Enterprises Ltd (REL).

The central bank also directed maintaining of the current board/management structure of REL.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it has granted its “approval for the proposed increase in shareholding of existing shareholders” — four Burman family entities Puran Associates, VIC Enterprises, M B Finmart, and Milky Investment & Trading Company — in Religare Enterprises Ltd (REL).

“The acquirers are advised to consolidate the NBFCs in the resulting structure/ group (both Burman and Religare group) at the earliest and not later than March 31, 2026,” the RBI said in a letter to Chairman of Religare Enterprises, a copy which was shared to the exchanges.

“The request for change of management/appointment of four proposed directors — Abhay Agarwal, Arjun Lamba, Ramanathan Gurumurthy, and Suresh Mahalingam does not have our approval at this stage,” it said.

It has “advised” REL to submit the names of the proposed directors, along with the board resolution, after ensuring that they are “fit and proper”.

The Burman family — a promoter of Dabur India and other entities such as Eveready Industries — through its entities, had in September last year announced a ₹2,116-crore open offer to REL shareholders to acquire up to 26% stake in the company.

However, it has been contested by REL independent directors, who raised red flags alleging fraud and other breaches by Burman family entities and approached regulators, including markets regulator Sebi, the RBI and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority.

Burmans’ are yet to receive a go-ahead from Sebi over its proposed open offer.

The RBI has advised Burmans “to submit a concrete and specific consolidation plan, with specific timelines, duly supported by board resolutions from each of the NBFCs within the groups, within 90 days from the date of this communication”.

It has also directed that it has to be informed about the date on which the Burmans acquired 26% or more of the paid-up share capital of the NBFC.

The Reserve Bank further said if after the open offer, Burmans’ shareholding in the REL “falls below 26%, prior approval of RBI will be required to increase the shareholding of the acquirers in the NBFC to 26% or more”.

As of September 30, 2024, Burmans, through its four entities, collectively own a 25.12% stake in REL.

Shares of Religare Enterprises Ltd were trading at ₹287.75 on the BSE, up 3.66% from the previous close.

‘There is likely to be strong private sector interest in India to take up contracts with the right incentives’
| Photo Credit: PTI

India has set ambitious goals for its space programme in the next two decades. These goals hinge on powerful, reusable rockets such as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s upcoming Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV). In addition to the NGLV, India must tap into its private sector to develop more such rockets in order to secure strategic autonomy in its access to outer space.

ISRO’s road map

From an infant space programme in the 1960s, India has grown into a powerful space-faring nation. Preparations for the Gaganyaan mission are underway. Gaganyaan will take an Indian crew to space for the first time, demonstrating Indian human-spaceflight capability. By the end of the next decade, India aims to have a more sustained presence in space by having its own space station in orbit around earth. It also aims to expand its human-spaceflight capabilities to the moon.

Realising these objectives effects a road map that consists of multiple uncrewed missions to the moon, mastering human-centric technologies for space travel and developing powerful new rockets. These rockets have to carry heavier payloads to support humans in space. They should also be financially viable as it will take many test flights to reach the safety and the reliability standards for human-spaceflight to the moon. ISRO is fulfilling these requirements with its upcoming NGLV, which has been recently approved for development by the Union Cabinet.

The significance of the NGLV lies in its heavy lift capability and reusability. The NGLV will triple the payload capacity of the LVM3 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk III), which is India’s most powerful rocket. This comes with numerous benefits. Heavy lift rockets ease restrictions related to weight and volume. It frees up the focus of engineers and scientists that would otherwise have to be spent on miniaturisation or weight reduction. It greatly increases the potential of space-related missions. The possibilities increase exponentially.

In contrast to all of India’s existing rockets which are expendable as they are built for one-time use, a major part of the NGLV will be reusable. Reusability requires that the rocket keep some of its fuel for controlled descent back to the earth’s surface. This reduces the capacity of the rocket to carry heavier loads but offers massive cost savings. Reusability has become necessary for rockets to remain competitive.

The immediate need

The NGLV’s development phase will last for the next eight years. In the meantime, the need for heavy lift capability is already felt. India’s next uncrewed moon mission is slated to use not one, but two rockets. Two LVM3s will carry the requisite modules. They will then be assembled in space to form one composite vehicle that will go to the moon.

In another instance, GSAT-N2, a communication satellite built by ISRO, was launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. It weighed 4,700 kg while the maximum weight that an LVM3 can carry to the Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) is 4,000 kg. A reusable Falcon 9 from SpaceX, a U.S. company, can carry up to 5,500 kg to the Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). Foregoing reusability, an expendable Falcon 9’s capacity increases to 8,300 kg. Even this figure is dwarfed in comparison to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and Starship rockets.

The Starship, which completed its sixth test flight recently, has already achieved significant milestones surrounding heavy lift and reusability. Its mind-boggling capacity to lift over 21,000 kg to the GTO (1,00,000 kg to the Low Earth Orbit) while remaining reusable, shows that the Starship is already past the level of advancement that the NGLV hopes to achieve at the end of its eight-year development phase.

Leveraging the private industrial base

This is no surprise given ISRO’s wider scope, capability and focus. However, it also raises questions about why India is not exploring more paths to produce multiple reusable, heavy lift rockets.

In parallel to developing the NGLV, the Department of Space can give out contracts to the private industry in India to design and develop reusable, heavy lift rockets of their own. Space is an emergent sector with massive potential for commercialisation.

There is likely to be strong private sector interest in India to take up these contracts with the right incentives. Even with a lack of existing faculty in rocket technology among Indian corporations, they can explore foreign collaboration. For instance, various rocket engines are already sold commercially.

A milestone-based funding mechanism where the Department of Space pays private players after they meet certain objectives at every stage is a great way to ensure accountability and reduce cost overruns. In the best case, India may end up with multiple NGLV-like rockets alongside the NGLV, resulting in much-needed redundancy and greater launch frequency. In the worst case, there may be delays but that is accompanied by positive spillovers of innovation, technical capability and infrastructure which will ultimately yield positive outcomes.

The entire gamut of space activities, which ranges from using satellite data for development to extending Indian presence to the moon and Mars, hinges on a resilient supply of space transportation services. India must foster a strong ecosystem for the growth of a specialised industrial base that can cater to India’s needs and ambitions in outer space.

Ashwin Prasad is a Research Analyst at The Takshashila Institution