The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday, July 13, introduced the AP Space Policy 2025-30 with the stated aim to develop an ecosystem for the development, manufacturing, and commercialisation of space technologies and services.
Projects undertaken in the Space Policy are driven by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Department of Space, and their commercial and regulatory arms. The space policy hopes to attract domestic and foreign investments in all segments of the space value chain.
Further, the policy intends to facilitate space based innovations in governance, education, agriculture, disaster management and environment monitoring. The policy also promises the setting up of manufacturing clusters near Sriharikota and to encourage technology transfer through regulatory frameworks and funding.
In May 2024, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu submitted a detailed proposal to the Union Science and Technology minister Jitender Singh to develop two space cities – in Lepakshi and in Sriharikota.
According to the Space policy, a technical committee will be constituted under the Commissioner of Industries to vet and process applications for land allotment for the Space Cities. The proposed cities would be developed along the Hyderabad-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor in Sri Sathya Sai district and in Tirupati (Routhasuramala).
The government will form an SPV, ‘AP Space City Corporation’, which will drive all initiatives related to the development of the above Space Cities.