Digantara Space Startup Gets ?25 Lakh Grant From IISc To Build Space Technology

India is the next nation that is gearing up its endeavours for space exploration. While ISRO is known for its marvellous feats, there are several private space organisations too that are working on making their mark in the field of space.

And one space-tech startup has just bagged a grant of Rs 25 lakhs, with two of India's youngest entrepreneurs at the helm.

Digantara

Digantara Research and Technologies Pvt. Ltd has announced that it has been incubated by Society for Innovation and Development (SID) at Indian Institute of Science.

And as a part of this incubation program, it has been awarded a grant of Rs 25 lakhs to help support their research and development in the field of space-tech. Along with this, SID-IISc will be providing mentorship and guidance as well as the required infrastructure and financial assistance.

The Digantara startup was founded by Anirudh Sharma and Rahul Rawat in the year 2018, right from their dorm room at Lovely Professional University.

Digantara is also India¡¯s first air and space surveillance company that looks at space tech solutions offering services like satellite component design, payload design, CubeSat design, as well as fabrication services.

Monitoring space debris

The startup has also developed India¡¯s first in-orbit space debris monitoring and tracking system, harnessing the technology behind LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging).

This system is able to offer real-time coverage of our planet by deploying a constellation of nanosatellites in Lower Earth Orbit. This also includes a space-based air surveillance payload for accurate tracking of both aircraft and space objects.

Representational Image: Spire Global

Rahul Rawat, co-founder, Digantara, said in a statement, ¡°From starting up in our dormitory at LPU to getting incubated at SID, IISc, our journey to conquer space with Digantara Space Technology has been a dream come true so far. I am thankful to all the support that we have received over the years from our teachers, mentors and friends who have stood by us and given us a leg up. We are confident that this program will help us take Digantara to the next orbit. SpaceTech is one of the most exciting fields to be in today and we see a huge global opportunity in what we are doing, in just the next few years¡±.