Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to finalise Andhra Pradesh Space Policy 4.0 with the objective of attracting Rs.25,000 crore in investments.
The policy aims to create direct employment for 5,000 people and generate nearly 30,000 indirect jobs. As part of the plan, the state will develop dedicated space cities in Lepakshi and Tirupati, and implement strategic targets for the space sector between 2025 and 2035.
At a review meeting held at the Undavalli camp office on Thursday, the Chief Minister stressed the involvement of educational institutions to engage students and spark interest in space technologies. He ordered the formation of a technical committee and the creation of plug-and-play infrastructure to support new ventures. Naidu said leading firms in communication technology had been invited to invest, and added that integration of electronics, aerospace, defence, drone and space sectors was central to the state’s innovation strategy.
“The new policy envisions two dedicated space cities. Lepakshi Space City, spread across 500 acres, will focus on design and development. It will house institutions for R&D, space startups, innovation ecosystems and services related to space applications,” Chandrababu said.
On Tirupati Space City, he noted, “It will act as a hub for manufacturing and launch logistics. Planned facilities include launch vehicle assembly, satellite and payload integration, component manufacturing and electronics-avionics assembly. Its proximity to Chennai and Sriharikota, along with Lepakshi’s access to Bengaluru, offers strategic advantages. A road link from Tirupati Space City to Sriharikota is also proposed.”
To draw investments, Naidu asked officials to offer competitive incentives. Investment categories have been classified as Micro (`1–`2.5 crore), Small (`2.5–`25 crore), Medium (`25–`125 crore), Large (`125–`500 crore) and Mega (`500+ crore). Subsidies ranging from 25 to 45 per cent are proposed, with additional incentives for women, BC, SC, ST, minority and differently-abled entrepreneurs under discussion.
The CM pointed out that India currently accounts for just 2 per cent of the global space economy. “The target is to attract $44 billion in space investments by 2033. India’s Space Policy-2023 permits 100 per cent FDI in the sector,” he explained.
He also outlined goals under India’s Space Vision 2047, which include satellite manufacturing, launches of remote sensing satellites, Chandrayaan-4, Venus Orbiter and Mars Lander missions, human spaceflight programmes, space stations, next-gen launch vehicles (NGLVs) and a third launch pad at Sriharikota.
Joining the meeting via videoconference, Dr S. Somanath, former ISRO Chairman and honorary space technology advisor to the Andhra Pradesh government, said the Centre was launching major initiatives under the Space Vision Policy 2047. He stressed the growing role of private players such as Starlink, SpaceX and Blue Origin, and noted that the future clearly belongs to space.
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