India, France boost space cooperation with 3 key agreements between their companies
Indian and French space companies signed three agreements expanding bilateral space cooperation, announced around a Paris Space Summit
Safran Space (France) signed contracts worth over 5 million euros with Indian company Dhruva Space to supply communication systems, inertial navigation units, optical payloads, and ground stations for India's planned Space-Based Surveillance Phase-III (SBS-III) constellation
French launch-services provider RIDE! agreed to launch two satellites for TakeMeToSpace, an Indian firm developing orbital data centre technology
The deals extend a decades-long India-France space partnership into the private commercial space sector on both sides
Space-Based Surveillance Phase-III (SBS-III)
SBS-III is India's third-phase military-surveillance satellite constellation, planned to place 52 satellites in Low Earth Orbit and Geostationary Orbit for reconnaissance, communication, and space-situational-awareness purposes. It follows SBS-1 (single dedicated satellite, 2001) and SBS-2 (2013), marking a major scale-up in India's space-based military architecture.
Key Details
- Of the 52 planned satellites, 21 are being built by ISRO/government agencies and 31 are opened to private industry — an unprecedented public-private partnership in India's military space programme
- Estimated outlay of roughly ₹27,000 crore (about $3.2 billion) for deployment by 2027-28
- Planned capabilities include AI-enabled autonomous satellites and quantum-communication links for secure data transmission
- Enabled by the Indian Space Policy, 2023, which opened the space value chain (including strategic/defence-adjacent segments) to non-government entities
Safran Space's technology contract with Dhruva Space is one of the first foreign-private-sector supply agreements feeding directly into the SBS-III constellation, illustrating how India is sourcing components for a strategic satellite programme through private industry rather than solely through ISRO.
IN-SPACe and India's Private Space Sector Reform
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) is the single-window regulatory body created to authorise, promote, and hand-hold private ("Non-Government Entity") participation in India's space activities, separating this promotional role from ISRO's operational role.
Key Details
- IN-SPACe was established on 24 June 2020, following the June 2020 space-sector reforms opening the sector to private players
- The Indian Space Policy, 2023 (approved 6 April 2023) formally delineates roles: ISRO (research and development), IN-SPACe (authorisation/promotion), NewSpace India Limited (NSIL, commercialisation), and private Non-Government Entities (NGEs)
- IN-SPACe has granted over 100 authorisations to private entities, with private space-sector investment reported at over $180 million in a recent year
- This regulatory architecture is what allows an Indian private company such as Dhruva Space or TakeMeToSpace to enter into direct commercial agreements with a foreign firm like Safran Space or RIDE!
Without the IN-SPACe/Indian Space Policy 2023 framework, private Indian firms would not have the authorisation to independently contract with foreign space companies on a strategic-adjacent programme like SBS-III.
India-France Space Cooperation (ISRO-CNES)
India and France have one of the oldest bilateral space partnerships among India's collaborations with any country, built around ISRO and its French counterpart, the Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES).
Key Details
- Cooperation dates to 1964, beginning with sounding-rocket launch facilities at Thumba (Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station)
- Landmark joint satellite missions include Megha-Tropiques (launched 2011, tropical atmosphere/climate monitoring) and SARAL (Satellite with ARGOS and ALTIKA, launched 2013, ocean altimetry)
- ISRO and CNES have also cooperated on a maritime-surveillance data-sharing arrangement in the Indian Ocean Region
- The new agreements mark an expansion of this cooperation from government-to-government (ISRO-CNES) into company-to-company commercial deals
The Safran Space and RIDE! agreements represent the commercial, private-sector layer of a government-level India-France space relationship that has run for over six decades, reflecting the broader global shift of space activity from state agencies to private industry.
- Safran Space-Dhruva Space contract value: over 5 million euros
- SBS-III: 52 satellites planned (21 ISRO/government, 31 private sector), target deployment by 2027-28, estimated cost ~₹27,000 crore
- IN-SPACe established: 24 June 2020; Indian Space Policy: approved 6 April 2023
- India-France space cooperation dates back to 1964; joint missions include Megha-Tropiques (2011) and SARAL (2013)
- RIDE! (France) will launch two satellites for TakeMeToSpace, India's first company working on orbital data-centre technology