The Digital Agriculture Mission, with a budget of INR 2817 crore (including the central share of INR 1940 crore), was granted authorization on 2 September 2024 by the Union Cabinet Committee, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Various digital agriculture initiatives, including the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), Digital Public Infrastructure, and other IT projects undertaken by the Central Government, State Governments, and Academic and Research Institutions, are intended to be supported by the Mission.
With the advent of digital identities and the development of secure payment and transaction methods, India’s government and service delivery have been profoundly impacted by the recent digital revolution. As a result, India is now at the forefront of citizen-centric digital solutions, with a flourishing digital ecosystem in the financial, healthcare, educational, and retail sectors.
Why the Government Is Emphasizing Connecting Farmers Digitally?
In the Union Budget 2023-24, the government announced plans to construct digital public infrastructure specifically for agriculture, to undergo a comparable change in the sector. Also stated in the 2024–25 budget is a plan to boost the agricultural sector’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Data on farmers, including verified demographic information, land ownership, and harvested crops, will be made available through the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Agriculture. Cultivators and tenant farmers shall be included according to the policy of the State Government.
To create innovative digital services focused on farmers, it would link up with the appropriate state and federal government digital infrastructure in India. This would allow it to access data on farmers’ livestock, fisheries, soil health, other occupations, family information, and the programs and benefits they have used. At its heart, the Digital Agriculture Mission is the DPI for Agriculture, which is in line with Viksit Bharat@2047.
The Three DPIs to Be Built Under the Mission
Soil Profile Mapping, Krishi Decision Support System, and Agristack are the three DPIs that will be developed as part of the Mission. Additionally, these DPIs will facilitate the development of digital services focused on farmers and ensure that the agriculture industry has access to accurate and up-to-date information.
With AgriStack, a farmer-centric DPI, services, and schemes can be delivered to farmers more efficiently, easily, and faster. It is a joint effort by federal and state entities, and its construction is taking place in a federated form. The State Governments/Union Territories established and maintained three essential databases or registries in the agricultural sector: the Crop Sown Registry, geo-referenced village maps, and the Farmers’ Registry.
As a reliable “Kisan ki Pehchaan,” AgriStack would provide farmers with a digital identification (Farmer ID) that is analogous to Aadhaar. A farmer’s “Farmer ID” will be dynamically associated with their land records, animal records, planted crops, family data, demographic information, and any programs or perks they have used. Digital Crop Surveys, which are mobile-based ground surveys, will be carried out by farmers every season to document the crops that are sowed.
The Central government and individual states are finalizing the details of the DPI for Agriculture by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The Indian government’s Ministry of Agriculture has inked memorandums of understanding with nineteen states thus far.
The government of Tamil Nadu and tech giant Google have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish “Tamil Nadu AI Labs” in Chennai.
Google and Guidance, the government agency in Tamil Nadu responsible for promoting and facilitating investments, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to help the establishment of a strong artificial intelligence ecosystem. Enabling individuals, businesses, and government bodies to harness AI for equitable growth and advancement involves giving access to innovative technologies and resources.
Minister for Industries Govt of Tamil Nadu TRB Rajaa announced a new relationship with Google and the launch of a new programme called ‘#TamilNaduAILabs’ at Guidance TN in Chennai in a post on X.
The minister went on to say that the partnership’s goals include assisting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the rural economy, helping two million youths become AI experts through the Naan Mudhalvan initiative, and working together with startups. Following the visit of Chief Minister M K Stalin to the United States, this statement is issued.
Rajaa went on to say that the state government established over 4,000 high-quality employment and attracted investments worth INR 900 crore through the signing of six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in various high-impact sectors.
Sectors and Investments
Some of the companies that have invested in this region include Nokia’s research and development center in Siruseri, PayPal‘s development center in Chennai focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning, Microchip and Yield Engineering Systems in Coimbatore, Applied Materials’ advanced AI technology center, and Infinx’s technology center in Madurai.
“Since CM Stalin has arrived in the US, Tamil Nadu is speeding into a new age of technological innovation, design of semiconductors, and artificial intelligence!” Rajaa posted.
This is significant because, following the post-pandemic spike in digitization, a growing number of large tech companies are considering investments in India to meet the country’s increasing demand.
Google began producing the Pixel 8 smartphone here earlier this month. Executives at the company are also quite optimistic about the premium smartphone market in India and its enormous growth potential.
Mentorship and networking opportunities with Google experts and industry leaders will be provided by Google in collaboration with Tamil Nadu’s startup ecosystem. The two will also host AI-focused events to address local concerns and encourage creativity and problem-solving. Eligible artificial intelligence businesses that have received venture capital funding can participate in the Google for Businesses program, which offers cloud credits, technical training, and business support to help them expand faster.
Google Showing Keen Interest in India
On the other hand, earlier this year, it was reported that Google was in advanced discussions to purchase a 22.5-acre land piece in Juinagar, which is located in Navi Mumbai, to construct the tech giant’s very first captive data center in India for the price of INR 850 crore.
Additionally, the leaders of the company are optimistic about the enormous development potential that India possesses in the premium smartphone market.
According to reports, the IT giant has already inked various lease agreements for space at colocation data centers in Navi Mumbai and Noida.
In the period from April to July of this year, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which is India’s very own digital payment system, handled transactions of INR 80.8 lakh crore, with July alone having the largest amount at INR 20.6 lakh crore.
UPI completed transactions totaling INR 19.64 lakh crore in April, followed by INR 20.44 lakh crore in May and INR 20.07 lakh crore in June. In April, UPI processed transactions worth INR 19.64 lakh crore.
Between January and July 2024, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) handled a total of INR 137.28 lakh crore worth of transactions, which is about equivalent to roughly $1.636 trillion.
Growth in the Number of Transactions
The UPI was used to complete more than 55.6 billion transactions between April and July, with July alone registering the largest number of transactions at 14.43 billion.
From the beginning of this year until July, the nation witnessed a total of 93.4 billion transactions that were conducted through the use of the UPI.
After recording 12.2 billion transactions in January, the payment system then registered 13.10 billion in February, 13.44 billion in March, 13.30 billion in April, 14.03 billion in May, and 13.88 billion in June. In January, the system recorded 12.2 billion transactions.
Going Above and Beyond PayPal and Alipay in China
Recent data from Paysecure, a worldwide payments center, indicates that the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) managed an astonishing 3,729.1 transactions per second. This represents a 58% increase from the 2,348 transactions per second that were recorded in 2022.
Due to this spike, the United Payments Institution (UPI) has surpassed China’s Alipay, PayPal, and Brazil’s PIX in terms of the number of transactions.
These findings were realized as a result of Paysecure’s investigation, which looked at forty of the most popular alternative payment methods all across the world.
In addition, the survey stated that India is the leader in the world when it comes to digital transactions. More than forty percent of payments are made digitally, and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is utilized the majority of the time.
A report published by the consulting firm PwC India indicates that the number of transactions on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is anticipated to increase by more than thrice, from approximately 131 billion in 2023-24 to 439 billion by 2028-29. This represents 91% of the total retail digital transactions taking place.
About UPI
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that integrates several bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank). This system brings together several banking features, including seamless fund routing and merchant payments, under one roof. Additionally, it accommodates “Peer to Peer” collect requests, which can be scheduled and paid according to the requirements and according to the convenience of the user.
In light of the information presented above, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) carried out a trial launch with 21 member banks. Dr. Raghuram G. Rajan, Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, performed the pilot launch on April 11th, 2016, in Mumbai. Beginning on the 25th of August in 2016, financial institutions have begun uploading their UPI-enabled applications to the Google Play store.
The global textile and apparel market is estimated to be valued at USD 2,783.62 billion in 2024, highlighting the industry’s economic footprint. A new player making a name for itself in this industry is GreenStitch. GreenStitch offers a comprehensive solution that helps companies in the textile and fashion industries enhance their sustainability practices. With advanced tools and technologies to manage and optimise sustainability data, GreenStitch aims to drive measurable impact and set new standards in the industry.
In this article, explore more about GreenStitch—its founders, startup story, challenges, growth, and more.
GreenStitch – Company Highlights
Company Name
GreenStitch Technologies Pvt Ltd.
Headquarters
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Sector
Fashion & Textiles, Climate Data and Analytics
Founder
Narendra Makwana, Arpit Samdani
Website
greenstitch.io
GreenStitch – About
GreenStitch.io provides fashion and textile companies with an enterprise-grade SaaS tool to meet environmental regulations and capture sustainable product demand. As a tech-focused company, it offers a comprehensive platform to measure and reduce GHG emissions across the value chain, specialising in detailed Scope 3 emissions. GreenStitch’s solutions enable businesses to gain insights for cost-effective and ROI-positive decarbonization.
GreenStitch – Industry
GreenStitch operates in the fashion and textile industries, where success increasingly depends on adapting to sustainability through technology and innovation. The company is dedicated to empowering these industries to meet this challenge, helping brands and suppliers achieve net zero status and drive sustainability success.
The market is massive, and sustainability is becoming the key metric for business. There has been increased consumer demand for eco-friendly materials and strong environmental regulations worldwide, and the industry lacks the necessary tools to streamline sustainability.
GreenStitch.io is on a mission to establish itself as the global leader, a sustainability platform for fashion. The company plans to expand its product offerings, build strategic alliances with top fashion brands, and enhance its international footprint. Within the next few years, GreenStitch aims to be at the forefront of the industry, driving innovation for the industry.
GreenStitch.io Co-founders – Narendra Makwana and Arpit Samdani
Narendra Makwana and Arpit Samdani are the co-founders of GreenStitch.io.
Narendra Makwana
Narendra is the co-founder and CEO of GreenStitch.io. He holds a degree in Textile Technology from IIT Delhi and serves as a visiting faculty member for Sustainability in Fashion & Textiles at the same institution. Narendra has consulted prominent legislators in India on climate change and sustainability and has led business verticals at India’s first prop-tech unicorn, NoBroker.
Arpit Samdani
Arpit is the co-founder and CTO of GreenStitch.io. He holds a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Computer Science from Vellore Institute of Technology. Arpit is a software professional with eight years of experience in building technology products from scratch to massive scale. He has worked with companies such as InMobi, Morgan Stanley, and Comviva.
GreenStitch – Startup Story
Climate change is a real issue, and someone needs to delve deeply to solve the climate-related challenges, which have massive potential. In the textile and fashion industry, the sector is highly fragmented. Production is mainly concentrated in the global south, which accounts for 80% of fashion-related greenhouse gas emissions, while consumption occurs in the global north.
The co-founders conducted extensive interviews with industry leaders, brands, and manufacturers, as well as regulators and policymakers, to validate the problem and develop a solution. This process was notably enjoyable for them. The response was very positive, as many were seeking similar solutions. Remarkably, GreenStitch closed several deals within a week, a rare achievement in high-ticket B2B sales.
GreenStitch – Vision and Mission
GreenStitch is deeply committed to supporting the fashion and textile industry in its sustainable transition. The company’s mission is to empower businesses by equipping them with advanced tools and technologies that enable effective management and utilisation of their sustainability data. GreenStitch believes that environmental indicators should serve as the universal language for retailers and manufacturers.
Through its innovative solutions, the company helps businesses reduce their carbon emissions, elevate their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, and emerge as leaders in driving the ecological transition. With the ambitious goal of managing 1 billion tonnes of carbon, GreenStitch strives to make a significant global impact on emissions.
GreenStitch – Name and Logo
GreenStitch Logo
For GreenStitch, the team settled on the name after only a few hours of brainstorming. They checked its SEO ranking and tested it with a few people to ensure they could relate to both the name and the work.
GreenStitch – Products/Services
GreenStitch provides a comprehensive suite of solutions designed to help fashion and textile companies meet the growing demands of environmental regulations and the increasing consumer demand for sustainable products. The company’s enterprise-grade SaaS platform enables businesses to accurately measure and reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the entire value chain, with a particular focus on Scope 3 emissions. By offering granular tracking and insights, GreenStitch empowers companies to implement cost-effective and ROI-positive decarbonization strategies.
Currently, GreenStitch’s platform supports businesses in GHG accounting, ESG reporting, decarbonization initiatives, and product life cycle assessments (LCAs). The company is continuously expanding its features to further address the complex sustainability challenges within the fashion and textile industry.
GreenStitch – Business Model
GreenStitch operates on a business model that involves providing advanced software solutions to help fashion and textile companies manage and utilise their sustainability data effectively.
GreenStitch – Launching Company Strategies
It is always tough to get initial customers, but GreenStitch co-founders knew that getting the right product to the right people would see them through. They attended B2B events, which provided a platform to showcase their product and network. The team also focused on building the right capabilities for their product based on user feedback. Leveraging personal networks and utilising LinkedIn extensively helped them connect with potential customers and industry influencers.
GreenStitch – Challenges Faced
GreenStitch faced various challenges along the way. They encountered difficulties in hiring initial teams, closing their first customers, and competing with both legacy players and newer entrants with deeper pockets. Despite these challenges, they have managed to navigate through them. Along the way, they had to let go of some underperformers and faced losses from competition, but they continued to learn and grow each day to ensure that these challenges were overcome.
GreenStitch – Growth
GreenStitch has made remarkable progress in its growth journey, earning the trust and collaboration of leading brands, export houses, and manufacturers throughout India, Bangladesh, and the EU.
The platform, with its zero learning curve, has been rapidly adopted in these regions, allowing GreenStitch to forge strong, lasting relationships with key industry players. As they continue to expand their reach, their approach is facilitating seamless integration, driving wider adoption across global markets, and further establishing their reputation as a trusted partner in the fashion and textile industry.
Prominent tools/software that GreenStitch relies on in its business operations are:
Close
Loops
LinkedIn
GreenStitch – Competitors
Some of the competitors of GreenStitch include:
Vaayu Tech
Carbonfact
GreenStitch – Future Plans
GreenStitch is committed to becoming the full-stack solution for sustainability in the fashion and textile industry. Their goal is to enhance product offerings, ensuring they not only meet but exceed industry standards, to drive real, measurable impact. They aim to establish themselves as the go-to platform for sustainability, becoming the de facto choice for fashion and textile companies seeking comprehensive, effective solutions. By doubling down on innovation and impact, GreenStitch plans to lead the way in making the industry more sustainable, one step at a time.
FAQs
What does GreenStitch do?
GreenStitch.io provides fashion and textile companies with an enterprise-grade SaaS tool to meet environmental regulations and capture sustainable product demand.
Who is the founder of GreenStitch?
Narendra Makwana and Arpit Samdani are the co-founders of GreenStitch.io.
What makes GreenStitch’s platform unique?
The platform offers a zero-learning-curve solution, making it easy for businesses to adopt and integrate.
Amid a severe liquidity constraint, the domestic quick-grocery delivery service Dunzo is reportedly laying off at least “150-200” additional staff. The company is planning to raise $35 million in capital from existing supporters such as Reliance Industries and Google in addition to new investors. There have been various reports that indicate that Dunzo is likely to reduce its employment by approximately thirty to forty percent or more.
There have been reports that the corporation has informed the affected employees that they will receive their complete and final settlements in January. A brief meeting was held to officially tell the staff members of the most recent round of layoffs. Between the two waves of job cuts that have taken place so far this year, the startup has already terminated approximately 400 employees.
Delay in Salaries
In a continuous shortage of funds, Dunzo decided to postpone the payment of salaries to its staff members for June and July until November.
Kabeer Biswas, the co-founder and CEO of the business, has stated that the company may also consider closing its office in Bengaluru to save expenses. According to reports, Biswas informed the staff that their outstanding payouts for June and July will now be cleared in November.
Earlier, Dunzo postponed the payment of salary until the first week of October because it was unable to raise sufficient funds. Additionally, it had committed to paying employees a 12% annual interest rate on the salary component that it had withheld from June. A total of around $300 million has been brought in by the company since the beginning of 2022, bringing the total amount raised to nearly $500 million.
About Dunzo
Dunzo is an Indian on-demand delivery service that focuses on providing local food. With low delivery prices, it delivers anything and everything as needed. If a person happens to leave some important documents at home, Dunzo can deliver them to his workplace. Apart from that, Dunzo can go shopping for individuals if they are ever in a jam and can’t make it to the mall to buy a t-shirt.
There are several eateries, apparel boutiques, and general merchandise establishments that Dunzo has partnered with. At this time, it is offering its services in Bengaluru, Delhi, Gurugram, Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, Jaipur, Noida, and Hyderabad. Startup Dunzo provides a hyper-local demand delivery service; its parent business is Dunzo Digital Private Limited. It is registered with the Registrar of Companies in Bangalore, where it was established on July 8th, 2014 through incorporation.
Zomato, a food-tech giant, has received a tax demand and penalty order totaling over INR 3.5 lakh, adding to the flood of goods and services tax (GST) warnings it has already been receiving.
On August 31st, Zomato announced in an exchange filing that the Sales Tax Officer of Delhi’s Ward 300 had issued an adjudication order, increasing the GST demand to INR 1.89 Lakh plus interest of INR 1.59 Lakh and any applicable penalty, the amount of which was not specified. The company headed by Deepinder Goyal claimed that it received the GST notification “disputing the eligibility of the input tax credit and interest penalty thereon.”
The filing indicated that the GST demand notice was issued for the period beginning in April 2019 and ending in March 2020.
The Second Notice in a Week
Zomato has been hit with a demand and penalty order for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for the second time this week. GST notices for around INR 4.59 crore were received by the company on 29 August 2024 from the authorities in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Zomato has stated that it intends to proceed with an appeal against the most recent tax demand order, even though it previously stated that it would file an appeal against the previous tax demand orders before the applicable judicial body.
The company stated in response to the most recent demand notice that “despite the fact that the company believes that it has a strong case on merits, the company shall pay the applicable amounts to the GST authorities.” This was in reference to the amount involved and the cost of litigation.
Zomato is now dealing with several tax concerns, which is an important fact to keep in mind. An INR 9.45 crore GST notice was sent to the food-tech major by the Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Taxes (Audit) in Karnataka. This notice was received by the company as of the previous month.
The Gurugram Goods and Services Tax (GST) authority issued a tax demand and penalty notice for INR 11.8 crore to the food delivery company in April, before that. These changes take place at a time when Zomato’s stock is increasing as a result of the company’s growing financial performance. The company’s net profit went from INR 2 crore in the previous year’s quarter to INR 253 crore in the first quarter of FY25. The value of Zomato’s stock has increased by about 102% so far this year.
Due to rising worries about the risks connected with unregistered financial influencers (finfluencers), markets regulator Sebi has revised standards to regulate them. Through three distinct announcements, the authority has limited the ability of its regulated businesses to do business with unregistered persons.
This followed last month’s approval of a similar plan by the Sebi board. According to the notices, individuals who are regulated by Sebi and their agents are not allowed to be associated with anyone who offers advice, recommendations, or makes explicit claims of return in any way, whether through financial transactions, client referrals, or interactions with information technology systems.
According to the regulator, no individual or agent regulated by the Board (Sebi) may be directly or indirectly associated with someone who gives advice or recommendations about securities (either directly or indirectly), unless that person is registered with or otherwise allowed by the Board to do so. Similarly, no one can make any claim—expressly or impliedly—about returns or performance related to securities (either directly or indirectly) unless they have been authorized to do so by the Board.
Sebi Setting Standards for Accountability
According to industry insiders, Sebi is establishing a benchmark for competence and transparency in the industry by mandating that finfluencers register with the regulator and follow certain rules.
This change would make it such that stock brokers, research analysts, mutual fund firms, and registered investment advisors can’t work together with finfluencers.
However, such cooperation has opened a modest opportunity for investor education. This is predicated on the premise that these finfluencers will not make any suggestions or assert any kind of profit or success.
Technology platforms are being encouraged by Sebi to build systems that can detect and track unregulated content to enhance its supervision. A larger strategy to improve its regulatory structure includes this proactive approach, which is part of Sebi’s overall plan. For their part, Kamlesh Varshney, a whole-time member of Sebi said that Sebi is thinking about easing several regulations about research analysts and registered investment advisers. At the next Sebi board meeting in September 2024, the idea—which garnered more than a thousand replies—is likely to be considered.
Why Sebi Has Taken This Step?
The new Sebi standards prohibit any association, whether direct or indirect, between unregistered finfluencers and businesses that are regulated by Sebi. These entities include mutual fund houses, stockbrokers, and research analysts. With the help of new restrictions, ordinary investors will be protected from the biased or deceptive advice that is frequently provided by these influencers, who typically operate on a commission-based compensation model.
As long as there are no promises for financial advice or returns, there is still a limited window of opportunity for investor education, even though Sebi’s crackdown is intended to protect investors. By establishing these severe requirements, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) hopes to encourage accountability and guarantee that only those who are certified and regulated will provide financial guidance in the market.
To raise awareness of natural diamond jewelry in India, Tanishq, the country’s leading jewelry brand, and De Beers, a multinational diamond major, recently established a strategic alliance. India has surpassed China as the world’s second-largest market for diamond jewelry, and the two countries are planning to cash in on this trend.
The United States accounts for half the global demand for diamonds, making it the biggest market. According to experts, China accounts for 10% of diamond demand, while India accounts for 11%. Through the collaboration, Tanishq hopes to bolster sales of diamond jewelry as well. The latter make up thirty percent of the value of its jewelry sales.
The Focus of the Partnership
Tanishq and De Beers are teaming up to raise awareness about the difference between lab-grown and naturally occurring diamonds through marketing campaigns, employee training, and consumer education. Tanishq will continue to employ De Beers’ diamond verification technologies as part of the cooperation, and the two companies will also cooperate on testing processes to confirm the authenticity and traceability of diamonds. They will also ink supply arrangements.
According to Ajoy Chawla, CEO of Titan’s jewelry division, the low penetration of studded jewelry and rising per capita earnings in the world’s most populous country create a significant opportunity for diamonds in India.
Current Diamond Trends in India
According to analysts, the market for diamond studded jewelry in India has been on the rise, even though it only makes up around 13% of the total jewelry market in terms of value. This is likely because younger consumers prefer studded jewelry over gold jewelry. Affordable, on-trend diamond jewelry for daily wear has become a hot commodity, thanks in large part to the proliferation of online-only retailers.
According to industry insiders, organized companies have been very proactive in their joint ventures with designers, releasing collections regularly, and improving their production and quality control skills in the diamond jewelry market.
Top players Tanishq and Kalyan Jewellers have both gotten into the market through acquisitions, with Tanishq purchasing digital companies Candere and Kalyan Jewellers doing the same. These brands have since been removed from sale to establish an “omnichannel” presence and increase revenue.
Rise of the Online Jewellery Market
The online jewelry business in India is currently valued at approximately $1 billion, but experts predict it will grow threefold to $3 billion in the next few years, driven mostly by the demand for diamonds.
Catching on this trend, unlisted jeweler Joyalukkas announced last week that it will establish an e-commerce jewelry brand by FY26 and expand its diamond jewelry counters at all of its locations. In addition, the jeweler mentioned that it aimed to increase diamond jewelry sales from 19% to 24% within the following four years.
In this exclusive interaction with StartupTalky, Rohan Ganapathy, Co-Founder, CEO, and CTO of Bellatrix Aerospace, discusses how the company is leading advancements in sustainable space technology. Bellatrix, which began with a vision to combat climate change, has grown into a pioneer in satellite propulsion and in-space mobility solutions. Ganapathy shares insights on their innovative technologies, like the water-powered Microwave Plasma Thruster, their collaboration with ISRO, and how they’re driving cost-efficient, eco-friendly innovations that are shaping the future of the satellite industry.
StartupTalky: What inspired you to start Bellatrix Aerospace, and how has your mission evolved since then?
Mr. Ganapathy: Bellatrix Aerospace started when we were still in college and interested in space exploration. Set out on a vision to solve climate change by developing water-based satellite propulsion to reduce the cost of transportation in space. Our mission to remain cost-efficient and sustainable has remained. Now we have evolved into In-Space Mobility solution provider for all classes of satellites and continue to develop cutting-edge technologies.
StartupTalky: Briefly highlight Bellatrix Aerospace’s key technologies and what makes them unique.
Mr. Ganapathy: Chemical Propulsion:
Green Mono-Propellent Thruster (Rudra Series): Sustainable and highly performant. We have developed fuel and catalysts in-house that are green and sustainable.
Nano thruster: World’s smallest thrusters, smaller than a coin. Based on nanofabrication, this thruster is designed to be compatible for CubeSats up to 12 U. Volume and power efficiency.
Electric Propulsion:
Hall Effect Thruster (Arka Series): Based on Hall effect technology, the Arka series can be compatible with satellites from 50kg class to 5000 kg. To avoid a single-point failure due to heating issues in the cathode, we have developed a heater-less hollow cathode-based hall effect thruster.
Microwave Plasma Thruster (Jal Series): The world’s first thruster with water as a fuel, designed for 1000Kg+ class satellites and reduces cost for the satellite owner significantly due to water used as the fuel.
StartupTalky: How has your partnership with ISRO impacted Bellatrix’s technological advancements and growth?
Mr. Ganapathy: Bellatrix was the first space tech to be awarded a developmental contract by the ISRO to develop an electric propulsion system that uses water as fuel. This collaboration highlighted the startup’s credibility and the promise of its technology. By teaming up with ISRO, Bellatrix accessed crucial resources, knowledge, and infrastructure, which sped up their research and development.
StartupTalky: What steps is Bellatrix taking to contribute to sustainable space technology, and what are your future goals in this area?
Mr. Ganapathy: In chemical propulsion, hydrazine fuel used traditionally is considered extremely toxic requires a specialized condition to handle and it’s unsustainable, we have developed our in-house green fuel to replace hydrazine and deliver better performance. We are doubling down on this technology to developcomponents to cater to varied demands in the market.
StartupTalky: How does your Satellite as a Service (SaaS) solution address current challenges in the satellite industry?
Mr. Ganapathy: A satellite needs to travel from the deployed orbit to its desired orbit to start its operations, it’s like the last mile connectivity. Without the Satellite as a Service solution, the satellite needs to take additional fuel to do the last mile operations, which increases the overall mass and size of the satellite, thereby significant additional costs for the satellite owner/operator and adding complexity to the mission operations.
With the Satellite as a Service solution, the satellites are onboarded in the orbital transfer vehicle, which transfers them to the desired orbit, saving the cost for the satellite operator. Additionally, the vehicle could act as a satellite body and host payloads of the customer and run demonstration operations or short-term operations required, thereby saving a huge amount of cost and time for the operator.
StartupTalky:What key trends do you see shaping the future of space exploration and satellite technology?
Mr. Ganapathy: Key trends shaping the future of space exploration and satellite technology are:
In-Space Mobility Solutions: With the rapid growth of satellites, there are crucial gaps in the market for in-space mobility. So, technological advancements in satellite propulsion systems that are greener, more efficient, deliver high performance, reliable, cost-effective, and with low lead times are shaping satellite technology and its outcomes.
In-Space Manufacturing: At a global level, there are startups innovating to leverage the space conditions for manufacturing specific materials that can benefit our planet. Manufacturing the same materials by replicating the space conditions here on Earth is very challenging and has significant overhead and operational costs compared to doing it in space.
Space Situation Awareness: Monitoring the ever-growing volume of satellites in space to avoid collisions and to protect the satellites from space debris is of key importance for sustainable space operations.
StartupTalky:How does Bellatrix’s large propulsion test facility benefit your R&D and product innovation efforts?
Mr. Ganapathy: Space conditions are harsh, and once a satellite is in space, from Earth we have very limited control to rectify a problem or issue. So, the solution requires extremely stringent quality testing before it’s sent to space. So, a large test facility helps in fast iterations by replicating space conditions for testing, which significantly benefits R&D and product innovation.
StartupTalky:How has the funding from prominent investors helped advance Bellatrix’s technology and operations?
Mr. Ganapathy: The funding has enabled us to iterate fast by acquiring the necessary tools to set up lab and testing facilities; thereby, we were able to innovate and develop four product lines to cover all satellite classes and space-qualified technologies. Prominent investors’ confidence also helps in improving our trust and reliability in the market.
StartupTalky:What are the goals in line for Bellatrix and how do you plan to continue driving innovation in space technology?
Mr. Ganapathy: We have four propulsion product lines and satellite as a service product. We have space-qualified two of our product lines. Our short-term goal is to space-qualify all our propulsion and satellite-as-a-service product lines by next year. And, we are working on a few customer orders, expanding our operations to the US and EU soon to penetrate deep into the market.
We have solutions for all classes of satellites, and our long-term goal is to become a trustworthy and reliable player for in-space mobility solutions among both government and commercial customers at a global level. We are working on a few other areas and planning to announce them once we have passed a certain qualification stage.
On 28 August 2024, 12 “industrial smart cities” across 10 states were given the green light by the Union Cabinet to receive an estimated investment of INR 28,602 crore, to enhance domestic manufacturing.
List of cities approved for “industrial smart cities”
City
State
Khurpia
Uttarakhand
Rajpura-Patiala
Punjab
Dighi
Maharashtra
Palakkad
Kerala
Agra and Prayagraj
Uttar Pradesh
Gaya
Bihar
Zaheerabad
Telangana
Orvakal and Kopparthy
Andhra Pradesh
Jodhpur-Pali
Rajasthan
At a press briefing, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated that these projects seek to cultivate an industrial ecosystem by enabling investments from both large anchor industries and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). They are designed to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) from countries like Switzerland and Singapore.
The projects, which cover ten states and six significant industrial corridors, would link the Golden Quadrilateral in what the minister called a “necklace of industrial cities.” He went on to say that these cities will have “plug-and-play” infrastructure, meaning they will have access to clean water and power at all times.
Steps Taken to Execute the Plan
Following the announcement made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the Union Budget speech, in which she revealed a proposal to sanction 12 industrial parks under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP), the Cabinet has given its approval to the scheme.
According to Sitharaman, “Our government will facilitate the development of investment-ready ‘plug-and-play’ industrial parks with complete infrastructure in or near one hundred cities.” This will be accomplished in conjunction with states and the business sector, and would be accomplished through improved utilisation of town planning schemes
In the past, the government of Odisha did not grant any land for the project; however, following the administration shift, the land has been designated for the project. The state of West Bengal had presented a plan, but they ultimately decided to withdraw it. According to Goyal, industrial ventures will be built in any state that assists the Central Government.
The Scheme Will Help India’s Exports Reach $2 Trillion by 2030
By the year 2030, it is anticipated that these industrial nodes will serve as accelerators for the achievement of a total export value of $2 trillion. According to a statement released by the government, the new industrial cities would be developed as greenfield smart cities that meet global standards. These cities will be constructed “ahead of demand” based on the principles of “plug-and-play” and “walk on to work.”
The National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) projects are planned with a focus on sustainability, including ICT-enabled utilities and green technology to reduce their impact on the environment. The goal of the government is to establish industrial cities that are not only centers of economic activity but also exemplary examples of environmental management. This will be accomplished by providing infrastructure that is of high quality, dependable, and sustainable.
Nitin Konde
