Now, new industry body for space companies

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Indian Space Association (ISpA), a grouping ofspace and satellitecompanies, at a virtual event on October 11, the industry body said on Thursday.

The ISpA represents homegrown and global corporations with advanced capabilities in space and satellite technologies. Its founding members include Bharti Airtel, Larsen & Toubro, Nelco (Tata Group), OneWeb, Mapmyindia, Walchandnagar Industries and Ananth Technology Ltd. Other core members include Godrej, Hughes India, Azista-BST Aerospace Private Ltd, BEL, Centum Electronics and Maxar India.

"We are truly honored to have the Prime Minister grace the launch ceremony and outline his vision for the growth of India's space industry and making our nation a global leader in the space arena," ISpA Director General AK Bhatt said in a statement. L&T-NxT Senior Executive Vice President for Defence, Jayant Patil has been appointed as the first chairman of ISpA, while Bharti Airtel's Chief Regulatory Officer Rahul Vatts will serve as vice chairman.