Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Microsoft on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together to fuel the growth of space technology startups in India.
As part of the partnership, Microsoft will provide technology tools and platforms, go-to-market support and mentoring to space-tech start-ups across the country to assist them in scaling up and becoming enterprise-ready.
The collaboration seeks to strengthen ISRO’s vision of harnessing the market potential of India’s most promising space tech innovators and entrepreneurs. Through this tie-up, the space-tech startups identified by ISRO will be onboarded onto the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub Platform, which supports startups at every stage of their journey from idea to unicorns.
Through Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, space-tech startup founders in India will have free access to the tech tools, and resources they need to build and run their business. This includes technical support to build and scale on Azure, best-in-class developer and productivity tools including GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio Enterprise, and Microsoft 365, and access to smart analytics with Power BI and Dynamics 365.
According to Shri S Somanath, Chairman of ISRO,
“ISRO’s collaboration with Microsoft will greatly benefit space tech startups in their analysis and processing of vast amounts of satellite data for various applications, using cutting-edge methods like AI, Machine Learning and Deep Learning. The Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub is a useful platform for bringing together startups and providers of technology solutions to support the national space technology ecosystem. We are pleased to work together to assist and support entrepreneurs, to in turn benefit the Indian economy as a whole.”
Anant Maheshwari, President of Microsoft India said:
“Space-tech startups in India are playing a significant role in advancing the country’s space capabilities with the power of technology. We are pleased to collaborate with ISRO to accelerate this transformation of what’s possible in space. Through our technology tools, platforms and mentorship opportunities, we are deeply committed to empowering space-tech startups in the country to drive cutting edge innovation and accelerate scientific discovery.”
Beyond access to technology, Microsoft will provide mentoring support to space tech entrepreneurs in areas ranging from space engineering to cloud technologies, product, design, fundraising and sales and marketing. In addition, founders will have access to Microsoft Learn for tailored startup centric training content and programs to help them build connections with the industry and potential customers.
Furthermore, Microsoft and ISRO will organize mutual knowledge sharing and thought leadership sessions for startups with experts in the space industry.
This collaboration will also provide founders with marketing strategies, technical support, and opportunities to sell their solutions through Microsoft channels and marketplaces.
