BENGALURU: A social media post by a Bengaluru-based space-tech entrepreneur highlighting difficulties in securing land for a satellite manufacturing facility has again prompted Andhra Pradesh to court start-ups from the Karnataka capital.
Kshitij Khandelwal, the founder of space-tech start-up Pixxel, recently posted on ‘X’ that acquiring land on Bengaluru’s outskirts for a satellite factory had proven more challenging than building the satellites themselves.
The post quickly drew attention from policymakers and industry observers.
Responding to the concerns, Karnataka Industries Minister MB Patil said his office would reach out to the company to address the issue.
Seizing the opportunity, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh invited the start-up to consider investing in Anantapur, which he described as an investor-friendly destination located on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
In a post on X, Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh was developing “space cities, aerospace parks and ready-to-go industrial ecosystems” to enable entrepreneurs to focus on innovation rather than land acquisition challenges.
He also directed the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board to engage with the company. Khandelwal later responded that the board had reached out and that Pixxel was “excited to explore” the proposed Anantapur Space City initiative.This has renewed discussions about the ease of doing business and industrial land availability in Bengaluru.