Microsoft and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) signed a memorandum of agreement on January 5 to provide technical tools, go-to-market support, and mentoring to Indian space technology entrepreneurs to help them grow up and become market-ready.
At this time, the Indian startup ecosystem for space technology is very active. A number of satellite launches and the nation’s first private rocket launch will make 2022 a landmark year for the ecosystem. Digantara, a space technology firm based in Bengaluru, launched its satellite at the beginning of the year aboard a Space X rocket.
Microsoft’s Startups Founders Hub, a platform created to support startups at various stages, will welcome the space technology startups identified by ISRO as a result of this agreement.
Space-tech startup founders in India will receive free access to the technology tools and resources they need to establish and manage their businesses through the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, according to a statement from Microsoft.
This offers developer and productivity tools including as Visual Studio Enterprise, GitHub Enterprise, and Microsoft 365, technical support for creating and extending Azure, and access to sophisticated analytics with Power BI and Dynamics 365.
Microsoft will help space technology entrepreneurs through mentoring in a variety of fields, including space engineering, cloud technology, product and design, fundraising, and sales and marketing.
Additionally, founders will have access to Microsoft Learn for specialised entrepreneurship-focused training materials and activities that will aid in their networking with business partners and clients.
Alongside professionals from the aerospace sector, Microsoft and ISRO will also host workshops for startups on knowledge-sharing and thought leadership.
Additionally, the alliance will offer entrepreneurs options to sell their solutions through Microsoft channels and marketplaces, go-to-market strategies, and technical assistance.
“The partnership between ISRO and Microsoft will greatly benefit space technology startups to analyse and process large volumes of satellite data for various applications using state-of-the-art techniques like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning,” said ISRO Chairman S. Somanath.
In order to help the national space technology ecosystem, Somanath remarked that the Microsoft for Companies Founders Hub is a useful platform for bringing together startups and technology solution providers.
According to Anant Maheshwari, President of Microsoft India, “India’s space technology entrepreneurs play a crucial role in leveraging the power of technology to strengthen the nation’s space capabilities.”
