Latest news with #K-Space
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Space Park will enable Kerala to climb new heights: Pinarayi
The Space Park will enable Kerala to scale new heights in the field of space research and lead to benefits in the space industries sector, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the Common Facility and R&D Centres of the Kerala Space Park. Mr. Vijayan also inaugurated the Kerala Aero expo 2025-a comprehensive showcase of India's space legacy, achievements and future missions at the function held at the Technocity Campus in Pallipuram on Thursday. He said that as part of these interventions, the State government is taking a new step in the field of space research under the name of K-Space. The activities of K-Space will be organised in such a way as to encourage new companies entering the field of space research and defence and also to work in conjunction with existing companies. 'The Kerala Space Park is an important intervention envisioned by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government to energise Kerala's space research sector. It is being established in Thiruvananthapuram, which has many institutions that can claim a great tradition in the field of space research. The Space Park is envisioned to be useful in making the products required by these institutions available on an industrial basis and in attracting investors working in the space and defence sector,' said The Space Park's subsidiary institutions will also be established in Kozhikode, Kochi and Kannur. The construction of buildings covering 2 lakh square feet on 3.5 acres of land for the Space Park will be completed in the first phase. An amount of ₹244 crore will be made available through NABARD for this purpose.
New Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
‘Operation K-Force' & a call for the four ‘A's: Kerala's silent growth in strategic sector
KOCHI: Kerala may not be the first name that springs to mind when you think of defence and aerospace. But make no mistake - the state is quietly scripting a revolution in India's quest for 'Atmanirbharta' in the strategic sector. From shipyards to space parks, MSMEs to military-grade startups, Kerala is stepping up post-Operation Sindoor, tapping into a rapidly expanding defence opportunity with a mix of gritty innovation and strategic ambition. At the heart of this story is Keltron. 'Following the Pahalgam terror attack, Keltron played a key role in strengthening India's defence response,' Industries Minister P Rajeeve revealed. The state-run electronics giant supplied critical systems for INS Arnala - the first indigenously built anti-submarine warfare vessel - including its sonar sensor, underwater communication system, power amplifier, and echo sounder. That's not all. Keltron had earlier delivered the 'Maareech Towed Array' system — designed to detect and neutralise torpedoes — to the Indian Navy. 'With decades of technical expertise, Keltron is now a trusted name in defence. Orders are steadily flowing in,' Rajeeve added. WhatsApp to warfare Ironically, Kerala's most promising defence cluster — K-Space — is still just a concept. 'We don't have anything officially called K-Space. What we have is a WhatsApp group,' chuckled a startup founder, who wished not to be named. But the vision is real. The state government has earmarked land at TechnoCity for a futuristic Kerala Space Park. The initiative is being revived after facing setbacks caused by the alleged involvement of M Sivasankar, IAS—who had been leading several projects, including the Space Park initiative—in a scandal. Meanwhile, Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has launched the Kerala Defence Innovation Zone (K-DIZ) in collaboration with DRDO, Technopark and others. 'It's part of the larger Emerging Technology Hub—a 2 lakh sq. ft. facility to drive aerospace and defence innovation,' said G Levin, CEO of K-Space, adding that several initiatives are being readied behind the scenes. BrahMos, drones and beyond Big-ticket land deals are also in motion. A 200-acre land allocation for the second unit of BrahMos Aerospace Trivandrum Ltd (BATL) is underway, alongside a proposal for a 100-acre Integrated Defence Industrial Park near Kattakada. The drone ecosystem is buzzing too. Startups like Vektas Technologies, operating out of Technopark, are building UAVs for disaster warning and rescue, with payload capacities of 10–20 kg and flight range up to two hours.
