If India Can Make Rocket Sensors, It Can Also Make Car Sensors: ISRO Chief Somanath

Bengaluru: ISRO Chairman S Somanath on Wednesday highlighted the need to manufacture car sensors domestically instead of relying on imports. Speaking at a session on space technology and defence during the Bengaluru Tech Summit, which also saw the launch of the Draft Karnataka Space Tech Policy, Somanath emphasised the importance of cost-effective production.

He pointed out that while India invests significantly in producing rocket sensors, the high production cost of car sensors makes domestic manufacturing less viable. “For car sensors, viability is achievable only if production costs are low and manufacturing is scaled up,” he said.

Somanath called for greater industry collaboration to address this challenge and noted that policy interventions like those unveiled at the summit could provide a solution. He praised the 2020 space sector reforms and the Space Policy of 2023 for creating an ecosystem conducive to private sector growth. “There is a lot of interest in the sector. I hear from many aspiring to build the next SpaceX in India,” he added.

Highlighting progress, Somanath mentioned that five companies are currently building satellites, with many enhancing their capacity to develop subsystems for rockets and satellites. However, he identified a lack of major players and insufficient investment in upstream space capabilities as key challenges.