The Union Budget for 2023-24 has allocated Rs 12,544 crore for the Department of Space (DoS), which is still the mainstay of the country’s space programme and responsible for the implementation of several big-ticket projects.
Also See: Budget 2023 Live | Budget Highlights | Income Tax Slabs 2023
While the Rs 12,544 crore outlay is more than 8% less compared to the amount earmarked in the previous budget (2022-23), it is around 19% more than revised allocations. Comparatively, in 2021-22, the actual allocation stood at Rs 12,473.8 crore.
Out of the proposed Rs 12,543.9 crore for the upcoming fiscal, Rs 11,699.4 crore is earmarked for projects under various heads.
Out of the Rs 11,699.4 crore, key projects of sponsored research in academia and industry, sensor payload development, planetary science programme, climate and atmospheric programme, small satellite for atmospheric studies and astronomy, space science promotion, Aditya-L1, Chandrayaan-3, X-Ray Polarimeter (Xposat) mission and space-docking experiment mission, together will get Rs 138.8 crore.
While projects under the space technology head — activities of the Isro centres, including Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Isro Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Isro Propulsion Complex, UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (Leos), Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network, Master Control (Istrac), the Human Spaceflight Centre (HSFC) — will get Rs 9,440.6 crore.
The projects range from launch vehicles and satellites and other developmental and operational ones.
Similarly, space application projects, including activities of Space Applications Centre (SAC), Development and Educational Communication Unit, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) and programmes undertaken by the department consisting of national natural resource management system, earth observation application mission and disaster management support will together get Rs 1,558.9 crore
Aside from these, Rs 531 crore is earmarked for the INSAT — multipurpose satellites — programme while Rs 138.8 crore is for space science projects.
“Establishment expenditure by Isro headquarters, the DoS secretariat and the newly formed Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) together get Rs 450.9 crore, including Rs 95 crore for IN-SPACe,” according to the notes on demand for grants.
Another Rs 408.7 crore has been earmarked for various autonomous bodies — Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Semi Conductor Laboratory (SCL), North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NE-SAC), National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) — while Space PSU NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) gets Rs 1 crore for capital expenditure.
Also See: Budget 2023 Live | Budget Highlights | Income Tax Slabs 2023
While the Rs 12,544 crore outlay is more than 8% less compared to the amount earmarked in the previous budget (2022-23), it is around 19% more than revised allocations. Comparatively, in 2021-22, the actual allocation stood at Rs 12,473.8 crore.
Out of the proposed Rs 12,543.9 crore for the upcoming fiscal, Rs 11,699.4 crore is earmarked for projects under various heads.
Out of the Rs 11,699.4 crore, key projects of sponsored research in academia and industry, sensor payload development, planetary science programme, climate and atmospheric programme, small satellite for atmospheric studies and astronomy, space science promotion, Aditya-L1, Chandrayaan-3, X-Ray Polarimeter (Xposat) mission and space-docking experiment mission, together will get Rs 138.8 crore.
While projects under the space technology head — activities of the Isro centres, including Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Isro Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Isro Propulsion Complex, UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (Leos), Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network, Master Control (Istrac), the Human Spaceflight Centre (HSFC) — will get Rs 9,440.6 crore.
The projects range from launch vehicles and satellites and other developmental and operational ones.
Similarly, space application projects, including activities of Space Applications Centre (SAC), Development and Educational Communication Unit, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) and programmes undertaken by the department consisting of national natural resource management system, earth observation application mission and disaster management support will together get Rs 1,558.9 crore
Aside from these, Rs 531 crore is earmarked for the INSAT — multipurpose satellites — programme while Rs 138.8 crore is for space science projects.
“Establishment expenditure by Isro headquarters, the DoS secretariat and the newly formed Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) together get Rs 450.9 crore, including Rs 95 crore for IN-SPACe,” according to the notes on demand for grants.
Another Rs 408.7 crore has been earmarked for various autonomous bodies — Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Semi Conductor Laboratory (SCL), North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NE-SAC), National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) — while Space PSU NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) gets Rs 1 crore for capital expenditure.
