Dr. K. Sivan, Chairman ISRO / Secretary DOS inaugurated three Space Technology Incubation Centre and dedicated it to the Nation on March 18, 2021, in an online programme held amongst ISRO and the esteemed National Institute of Technology’s.

In his presidential address, he especially emphasised that the S-TIC concept is conceived with one selected major academic institute taking the lead role in a particular region and providing opportunities for final year graduate, post–graduate and research scholars as future budding entrepreneurs. Projects of practical relevance linked to the ongoing missions or future missions of ISRO will be made available to the students at STIC. The research outcome of these students will be translated into a Proof-of-Concept or prototype through industries within their region.

Sri R. Umamaheswaran, Scientific Secretary, ISRO emphasised the need for inter-disciplinary approach and close team work among various discipline of Science and Technology for accomplishing the objectives of S-TIC. He further stated that the setting up of the S-TICs, one each at VNIT Nagpur, MANIT Bhopal and NIT Rourkela, will be a major boost up for space related activities in these regions and wished that these S-TIC will produce many space entrepreneurs and space leaders, who will potentially be able to mark the human foot prints in deep space. He further asserted that the saplings, we are planting in form of S-TIC at these prestigious Institutes have a great potential to grow as a big tree, firmly establishing its roots in deep depth of knowledge in the domain of Space Science and Technology.

Today the MoU was signed in an online mode from ISRO side by Dr. P.V. Venkitakrishnan, Director Capacity Building Programme Office, ISRO Headquarters and Prof. Pramod Madhukarrao Padole, Director, VNIT, Nagpur from VNIT side; Prof. Narendra Singh Raghuvanshi, Director, MANIT, Bhopal from MANIT side; and Prof. Animesh Biswas, Director, NIT Rourkela from NIT Rourkela side, in the presence of Sri R. Umamaheswaran, Scientific Secretary, ISRO and Dr. K. Sivan, Chairman ISRO / Secretary DOS.

The S-TIC at VNIT Nagpur will be the focal centre for western region of Space Technology Incubation activities including the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and UTs of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. Similarly, S-TIC at MANIT Bhopal will be the focal centre for Space Technology Incubation activities including the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The S-TIC at NIT, Rourkela will be the focal centre for eastern region of Space Technology Incubation activities including the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and UT of Andaman & Nicobar

With setting up of three new S-TICs today, the goal of opening one Space Technology Incubation Centre in each six region of country has been accomplished by ISRO. At present three S-TIC’s have already been functioning, one each at National Institute of Technology, Agartala (for North-Eastern region), Dr. B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar (for Northern region) and National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli (for Southern region).

Dr. K. Sivan, Chairman ISRO / Secretary DOS also released युक्ति–संचिता YUKTI-Sanchita 2021 (Youth Upgradation by Knowledge Transformation through Incubators - Sanchita), a compilation of 108 Product Development / Innovative Project Proposals from Centres / Labs/ Units of DOS/ISRO.

It can be referred by the Academia, Industry and Start-ups to prepare a detailed proposal for execution of the projects. Jiwan Kumar Pandit, Associate Director, CBPO, ISRO-HQ thanked all the participants from various academic institutions for their active participation. This is one of the major steps by DOS / ISRO to achieve the development and indigenisation of space grade components / products / processes in tandem with objectives of “आत्मनिर्भर भारत Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.