The MoU aims to provide technology tools and platforms, as well as go-to-market support and mentoring, to space tech start-ups across the country in order to help them scale and become enterprise-ready.
Bengaluru: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Microsoft signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday to support the growth of Indian space technology start-ups.
The MoU aims to provide technology tools and platforms, as well as go-to-market support and mentoring, to space tech start-ups across the country in order to help them scale and become enterprise-ready.
This collaboration comes as Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella is in town for the Microsoft Future Ready Technology Summit.
According to Microsoft, the collaboration aims to strengthen ISRO’s vision of harnessing the market potential of India’s most promising space tech innovators and entrepreneurs.
The space tech start-ups identified by ISRO will be onboarded onto the ‘Microsoft for Start-ups Founders Hub platform,’ which supports start-ups at every stage of their journey-from idea to unicorn, according to the announcement.
The release also stated that through the hub, space-tech start-up founders in India will have free access to the tech tools and resources they need to build and run their business, including technical support to build and scale on Azure, best-in-class developer and productivity tools such as GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio Enterprise, and Microsoft 365, and access to smart analytics with Power BI and Dynamics 365.
According to ISRO Chairman S Somanath, the space agency’s collaboration with Microsoft will greatly benefit space tech start-ups in their analysis and processing of vast amounts of satellite data for various applications, using cutting-edge methods such as AI, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning.
“The Microsoft for Start-ups Founders Hub is a useful platform for bringing together start-ups and providers of technology solutions to support the national space technology ecosystem. “We are excited to collaborate to help and support entrepreneurs, which will benefit the Indian economy as a whole,” he said.
In addition to providing access to technology, Microsoft will mentor space tech entrepreneurs in areas ranging from space engineering to cloud technologies, product and design, fund-raising, and sales and marketing.
Furthermore, founders will have access to Microsoft Learn for tailored start-up-centric training content and programmes to assist them in connecting with the industry and potential customers.
“Space tech start-ups in India are playing a significant role in advancing the country’s space capabilities with the power of technology. We are excited to work with ISRO to accelerate the evolution of what is possible in space. “We are deeply committed to empowering space tech start-ups in the country to drive cutting-edge innovation and accelerate scientific discovery through our technology tools, platforms, and mentorship opportunities,” Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari said.
Microsoft and ISRO will also co-organize knowledge sharing and thought leadership sessions for start-ups with space industry experts. Furthermore, the collaboration will provide founders with go-to-market strategies, technical support, and opportunities to sell their solutions through Microsoft channels and marketplace, according to the release.
