Unlocking India’s Private Space Sector: Legal and Policy Challenges

Keynote speaker:

Shri. A. S. Kiran Kumar, Former Chairman, ISRO

Shri A. S. Kiran Kumar is Vikram Sarabhai Professor at the Indian Space Research Organisation, Bangalore. He is a Member of the Space Commission, Government of India and Member, Governing Council, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. During the period from January 2015 to January 2018, he has served as Secretary, Department of Space, Chairman, Space Commission and Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation.

He has steered the implementation of the applications-oriented Indian Space Programme, which has facilitated rapid development of the country in many important spheres of earth observation, communication, navigation, meteorology and space science, as well as the development of indigenous launch vehicles and related technologies for providing assured access to space.

He has also contributed to the design and development of more than 50 Electro-Optical Imaging Sensors flown on Spaceborne platforms starting from Bhaskara TV payload in 1979 to the payloads onboard the Mars Orbiter Mission in 2013. He has played a crucial role in Chandrayaan-1 mission right from the conceptualisation stage and has made exemplary contributions to the success of Mars Orbiter Mission and Reusable Launch Vehicle -Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD).

Shri Kiran Kumar has been conferred with Honoris Causa and DSc by 18 Indian academic institutions.

Panelists:

Mr. K.R. Sridhara Murthi, Director, International Institute of Aerospace Engineering and Management, Jain University, Bangalore

Mr. Sridhara Murthi is the Director of International Institute of Aerospace Engineering and Management, Jain University, Bangalore. He has managed Antrix Corporation to outstanding success. He is an expert in Space Policy and International Space Law with high-level experience in the Boards of International Academy of Astronautics, International Institute of Space Law and International Astronautical Federation. He has experience in promoting international collaborations and represented in the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

In 2011 he held a position in the Office of Adviser to India’s Prime Minister as Senior Expert on

Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations in India. 

He has rich experience in space commercialisation and space policy analysis and played key roles in India’s Space programme for over three decades. He represented India as a delegate to the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

Mr. Narayan Prasad, Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer at satsearch.co

Narayan Prasad is a cofounder at satsearch.co, a global marketplace for space supported by the European Space Agency. He also serves as a Partner to SpacePark Kerala, a Government of Kerala initiative to develop a dedicated space activities hub in India. He believes that there is an opportunity to create a $25 billion space industry ecosystem in India by 2030 which can take space-based products and services from India to the rest of the world. He previously served as an Associate Research Fellow at the European Space Policy Institute where he contributed to enhancing cooperation between Europe and India in space. He has authored over 75 articles in various national and international publications and has previously studied in India, Germany, Sweden and France. He is also an elected member of the International Institute of Space Law and an awardee of Emerging Space Leaders by the International Astronautical Federation. He is the host of the NewSpace India podcast and can be reached by email on [email protected] or @cosmosguru.

Mr ASHOK G.V., Partner, Factum Law

Ashok G.V. is a Partner with Factum Law, Bengaluru, India. As an attorney, he specialises in Commercial disputes representing clients from aerospace, healthcare, manufacturing, remote sensing and technology industries in Intellectual Property, Taxation and Company dispute among others before conventional and alternative dispute resolution fora. Ashok advises space technology companies on SATCOM regulations and remote sensing regulations, in addition to rendering his expertise for contract management, structuring investment transactions, asset management and enforcement and risk management.

Ashok is a member of the International Advisory Council of the International Academy of Space Law, a Moscow based organisation which is engaged in promoting the peaceful use of outer space and has delivered talks at the Kalpana Chawla Annual Space Policy Dialogue in Delhi and the Asia Pacific Satellite Communications Council’s conference held at Bangkok on space policy and regulations. Ashok has also authored several papers and articles on the subject of regulating commercial space activities, responsible use of space, privacy concerns surrounding remote sensing data mining and legal issues in space sustainability in reputed domestic and international publications.

Mrs. POORVI KANTROO, Space Law & Policy Head Aerospace and Aviation Lawyers Association of India (AALAI).

Poorvi heads the space division at the Aerospace and Aviation Lawyers Association of India (AALAI). Before this, she directed the Space policy division at erstwhile Aryavara Space Organization. She is also a Doctoral Candidate at CADL NALSAR. She recently submitted her thesis title: Space Debris through the lens of commercialization, the need for an international legal framework, and is awaiting viva. She also earned her LLM degree in Corporate Laws and Governance from NALSAR. She has a decade long relationship with CADL and served the center in various capacities such as Researcher, Module Instructor, Organizing Committee Manfred Lachs Moot Court, International Manfred Lachs Conferences, etc. She was a Key Judge for recently conducted 1st APJ. Kalam Essay Competition. She was also selected by The International Institute of Space Law (IISL), Leiden, to judge at the prestigious Manfred Lachs Moot Courts Memorials 2016. She is an associate editor for the Indian Journal for Air and Space Law (IJASL), published by CADL, NALSAR.

Her endeavour as an academician is to be the fulcrum between the public and private sector, enabling both sectors to flourish within the domain of Space law.

Mr Sagar Singamsetty, Founder and Managing Director, Aerospace and Aviation Lawyers Association of India (AALAI) and Adjunct Professor of Law, CADL, NALSAR University of Law.

Sagar brings a wealth of information and a wealth of network from his 14+ years of international experience in the mobility and transport sector as a legal, regulatory and policy expert. Apart from the practical know-how gained through various in-house roles at Amazon, FedEx/TNT, AerCap, Sagar developed a strong bond with academics over the years.

Teaching aviation and general transport laws at NALSAR, in 2011, Sagar as Chief-Editor published a compilation of articles on air and space law, ‘Contemporary Issues and Future Challenges in Air and Space law’. In 2019, started a global competition, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Air and Space Law and Policy Essay Competition, whose objective is to promote and raise awareness on the legal and policy issues in the field of aviation, space and in general, the transport sector(s). Currently is the Founder and Managing Director of Aerospace and Aviation Lawyers Association of India (AALAI) that serves in addressing the developments in Air, Space and Transport law and policy in India.

Introduction By:

Prof. Balakista Reddy, Registrar, Head, Centre for Aerospace and Defence Laws, NALSAR University of Law

Dr.V.Balakista Reddy obtained his LL.M in International Law from Osmania University and M. Phil. and PhD in International Air and Space Law from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. He has more than 20 years of Teaching and Research experience. Dr Reddy has contributed extensively to various national and international journals on different facets of International law. His books on, (1) Air Law and Policy in India (2) Recent Trends in International Space Law and Policy and (3) Emerging Trends in Air and Space Law, (4) Space Law and Contemporary Issues have won international acclaim. He is Visiting Faculty to many Universities in India and abroad and been a keynote speaker in many international seminars. He has been heading the Center for Aerospace and Defence Laws ( CADL) since its inception.

For any further queries, feel free to contact us at [email protected]

Looking forward to your Participation.