Education & ecosystem
Indian Space Association
Apex industry body of India's space and satellite firms, launched in October 2021 and led by Lt Gen A K Bhatt; it lobbies on spectrum, tax and defence-space policy.
The Indian Space Association is the apex industry body for India's space and satellite companies, launched in New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 October 2021. Lt Gen Anil Kumar Bhatt, a retired army officer, has been its director general since the start and still signs its regulatory submissions. ISpA describes itself as a non-profit set up for the collaborative development of the private space industry in India, and the International Astronautical Federation has carried it as an association and professional society member since 2024.
Membership is tiered. Wikipedia's roster, which carries no date, sets out seven founding members, Alpha Design Technologies, Bharti Airtel, Larsen & Toubro, MapmyIndia, Nelco of the Tata group, Eutelsat OneWeb and Walchandnagar Industries, above nine core members including Ananth Technologies, Bharat Forge, Godrej and Viasat, then 21 associate members, 59 start-up members and two others. That tent covers most of the country's launch and satellite sector: Agnikul Cosmos, Bellatrix Aerospace, Dhruva Space, Pixxel and Skyroot Aerospace all sit in the start-up tier. For the 2025-2027 term the association lists Arun T Ramchandani of Larsen & Toubro as chairman and Bharti Airtel's Rahul Vatts as vice chairman.
The work is policy advocacy, and satellite spectrum has been its longest fight. Policy Circle placed ISpA in October 2024 with Starlink, Amazon and the government behind administrative assignment of satellite spectrum, against Reliance Jio and Bharti Enterprises, which wanted an auction; Bharti Airtel is itself an ISpA founding member. Bhatt told Outlook Business in January 2025 that allocating administratively was a positive step because that is the global practice, and that on charges "the minimum AGR model should be adopted with a reduced percentage, ideally 1 to 2 percent, to foster growth rather than treat it as a commercial opportunity". A submission he signed on 17 May 2026, answering TRAI consultation paper 6/2026, asked for a 20-year satellite communication network authorisation, continuity of administrative spectrum assignment, and pass-through deductions to avoid double taxation of network infrastructure.
ISpA also owns the sector's meeting calendar. Its archive starts with the Indian Space Conclave at the Manekshaw Centre on 10 and 11 October 2022 and the first Indian DefSpace Symposium at the United Service Institution from 11 to 13 April 2023. The fourth DefSpace Symposium ran on 23 and 24 April 2026 at the Manekshaw Centre under the banner Strengthening India's Defence and Space Industry Synergy, with sessions on counter-space competition, the Mission DefSpace roadmap and NavIC adoption, and the India International Space Conclave follows on 23 and 24 November 2026 at The Lalit on Barakhamba Road. The India Space Congress, held in New Delhi that June, belongs to a different body, SIA-India.
Not every ask has landed. In January 2023 ISpA pressed for a production-linked incentive scheme for space, for start-up tax exemptions to continue until the new space policy took effect, for capital-gains parity between listed and unlisted entities and for relief from angel tax; two years later Bhatt was still seeking lower GST, import incentives and tax holidays. The Union Budget presented on 1 February 2026 delivered none of them. The Department of Space allocation rose about 2 per cent, to Rs 13,705.63 crore from Rs 13,416.20 crore, with no space production-linked incentive scheme and no sector-specific tax relief, and Bhatt's public response instead picked out new telescope infrastructure as "a meaningful step towards strengthening India's scientific base in astrophysics and astronomy".
What they build and operate
- Indian DefSpace Symposium · Programme · Operational
Annual defence-space industry symposium; the fourth edition ran on 23 and 24 April 2026 at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on the theme Strengthening India's Defence and Space Industry Synergy.[8][13] - India International Space Conclave · Programme · Announced
ISpA's flagship conclave, run annually since October 2022; according to ISpA's own events site the 2026 edition is scheduled for 23 and 24 November 2026 at The Lalit, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi.[14][12][13] - Policy advocacy and regulatory submissions · Service · Operational
Files industry positions with regulators; in its own 17 May 2026 response to TRAI consultation paper 6/2026 the association sought a 20-year satellite communication network authorisation and continuity of administrative spectrum assignment.[10]
Milestones
- 11 October 2021
Launched in New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an apex industry body for India's space and satellite companies.[1][2] - 10 October 2022
Held its first Indian Space Conclave at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on 10 and 11 October 2022.[13] - 15 January 2023
Asked the government for a production-linked incentive scheme for space, continued start-up tax exemption, capital-gains parity and angel-tax relief ahead of the Union Budget.[3] - 11 April 2023
Ran the first Indian DefSpace Symposium at the United Service Institution, Delhi Cantt, from 11 to 13 April 2023.[13] - 2024
Joined the International Astronautical Federation as an association and professional society member.[5] - October 2024
Backed administrative assignment of satellite spectrum alongside Starlink, Amazon and the government, against Reliance Jio and Bharti Enterprises, which pressed for an auction.[4] - 28 January 2025
Director general Lt Gen A K Bhatt said India's 2 per cent share of the global space market could reach 10 per cent, and asked that satellite spectrum be charged on a minimum adjusted gross revenue model at 1 to 2 percent.[6] - 01 February 2026
The Union Budget lifted the Department of Space allocation about 2 per cent to Rs 13,705.63 crore from Rs 13,416.20 crore, carrying neither the space production-linked incentive scheme nor the sector-specific tax relief ISpA had sought.[7][3] - 23 April 2026
Convened the fourth Indian DefSpace Symposium at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on 23 and 24 April 2026.[8][13] - 17 May 2026
Filed a submission signed by its director general on TRAI consultation paper 6/2026, seeking a 20-year satellite communication network authorisation and continued administrative spectrum assignment.[10]
Facilities
- ISpA secretariat · Delhi Cantt, New Delhi
Registered office on the ground floor of the United Service Institution building, Rao Tula Ram Marg, Shankar Vihar.[11][10]
Leadership
- Lt Gen A K Bhatt (Retd)
Director General (as of 17 May 2026)[10][11][1] - Arun T Ramchandani
Chairman, 2025-2027 term (as of 2025)[11] - Rahul Vatts
Vice Chairman, 2025-2027 term (as of 2025)[11]
Sources
WikipediaIndian Space Associationen.wikipedia.org
The Space ReviewThe Indian Space Association seeks to broaden commercial intereststhespacereview.com
The TribunePLI scheme, tax incentives, allocation for defence, space industry's wishlist for the Union Budgettribuneindia.com
Policy CircleSatellite spectrum showdown: Telecom giants face off in auction debatepolicycircle.org
International Astronautical FederationIndian Space Association (ISpA)iafastro.org
Outlook BusinessIndia's Focus on Small Satellites Can Propel Share of Global Market to 10%, says Indian Space Association's Lt Gen AK Bhattoutlookbusiness.com
The TribuneBudget 2026: India's space sector gets 2% marginal hiketribuneindia.com
Indian Aerospace and Defence BulletinIndian DefSpace Symposium 2026 To Strengthen India's Defence-Space Synergyiadb.in
SpacePolicyOnline.comIndia Space Congress 2026, June 15-17, 2026 (local time), New Delhi, Indiaspacepolicyonline.com
Telecom Regulatory Authority of IndiaISpA key inputs and comments on the Framework for Satellite Communication Network Authorisation, and Assignment of Spectrum to Satellite Communication Network Providerstrai.gov.in
Indian Space AssociationAbout us and office bearers 2025-2027ispa.space
Indian Space AssociationOfficial siteispa.space
Indian Space AssociationEvents archiveispaevents.space
Indian Space AssociationIndia International Space Conclave 2026ispaevents.space
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