Image Source: CNBC TV18

The government has laid out the red carpet for the private sector in space exploration. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and MoS Arunag Thakur announced the same on Saturday while laying out the fourth tranche of reforms and stimulus after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an overall Rs 20 lakh crore to fight the COVID-19 crisis. FM Sitharaman said that the Indian private sector will now be a "co-traveller" in future space explorations. The Indian government will provide a level playing field for the private sector in satellites, launches, and space-based serviced by giving a predictable policy and regulatory environment. The private sector will also be allowed to use ISRO facilities and other relevant assets to improve its capabilities. Future projects for planetary explorations and outer space travel will also be opened for the private sector. The government has also promised a liberal geo-spatial data policy for providing remote-sensing data to tech-entrepreneurs. It is noteworthy, that US-based electric car major Tesla plans to enter the Indian market soon according to company chief Elon Musk. Musk also has a major interest in space exploration and travel and runs SpaceX. Similarly, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos has a private commercial space flight company called Blue Origin.