Andhra Pradesh announces 'Space City' near Tirupati to launch private satellites

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu unveiled an ambitious plan for a "Space City" in Tirupati from which private satellites will be launched.

The Chief Minister was addressing the International Mediation Conference at the Asian Centre for International Arbitration and Mediation (ACIAM) in Visakhapatnam.

The Chief Minister outlined a broad strategy to position Andhra Pradesh as a global hub for technology, from data centres to space exploration. The policy plans for two dedicated space cities, one in Lepakshi and the other in Tirupati, with the latter focusing on manufacturing satellites and launch logistics due to its proximity to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) at Sriharikota.

This move is seen as part of a broader push by the new state government to accelerate development and leverage its key location to attract high-tech industries, drawing a parallel to the American private space sector. Naidu said the creation of "Space City" near Tirupati is "just like America having SpaceX.”

The announcement builds on the state's previously announced "Andhra Pradesh Space Policy 4.0," which aims to attract significant investment and create thousands of jobs in the space sector.

This initiative is designed to capitalize on the growing privatization of the space sector, aligning Andhra Pradesh with global trends and positioning it as a key player in India's burgeoning private space economy.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the state's progress in quantum computing. This is part of the state's plan to establish a "Quantum Valley" in Amaravati, an ecosystem designed to serve universities, research bodies, startups, and industries.