Karnataka Pioneers SpaceTech Centre of Excellence to Boost Commercial Innovation

In a move to accelerate India’s growing space economy, the Karnataka government has launched the country’s first state-led Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Space Technology. 

The initiative has been set up by the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society in collaboration with the Satcom Industry Association India.

The Centre is designed to bridge the gap between research and real-world applications by enabling the commercialisation of space technologies. It will focus on advancing innovation while creating pathways for startups, enterprises, and researchers to scale solutions in the space sector.

Speaking at the launch, Priyank Kharge, Minister for Electronics, IT/BT, and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj in the Karnataka government, mentioned that the initiative builds on Karnataka’s long-standing leadership in technology and innovation, extending it into a strategically important domain. He added that the Centre would play a key role in translating research into economic value and employment opportunities.

The CoE SpaceTech Foundation aims to promote research and development in space technologies, support industry-aligned skill development, incubate startups, and enable cross-sector applications.

As part of its ecosystem-building approach, the Centre has also signed multiple partnerships with academic institutions and industry stakeholders. These collaborations will focus on emerging areas such as space biotechnology and microgravity research, while also strengthening talent pipelines and providing startups with training and market access.

The initiative comes at a time when India is looking to expand its footprint in the global space economy, with states increasingly playing a role in enabling innovation and private sector participation.

Meanwhile, Space startup Pixxel on Monday said it has entered a strategic partnership with Sarvam to develop and build India’s first orbital data centre satellite, Pathfinder.