CHENNAI: Amazon's cloud computing division Amazon Web Services (AWS) has signed an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) for supporting space technology with its cloud products. This will help space startups and research institutes tap cloud technologies and develop talent, the company said. Also it means startups can develop space-tech solutions and improve their research and development using AWS.
Cloud computing-led innovations enable the space industry to make faster decisions and help startups identify use cases and accelerate solution development, said Shalini Kapoor, Director and Chief Technologist, Public Sector, AWS India and South Asia. "We look forward to helping customers in India build space-tech solutions to make life on Earth better," she added.
AWS hopes to grow in the Indian market with space-tech associations as India opens up its space sector to private players creating a successful startup ecosystem. AWS will provide eligible space startups tools, resources, and expert technical support at no cost through the AWS Activate program, it said. This will enable startups to commercialise them faster.
ISRO, INSPACe and AWS will also collaborate on a new initiative to train students and educators in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, analytics, and security. This will help startups build future space startups in India using advanced technologies, Amazon said.
Cloud computing enables the speedy management of large volumes of raw space data, besides running AI, ML and analytics workloads to achieve meaningful outcomes in a highly cost-effective manner, said Sudheer Kumar N, Director of Capacity Building at ISRO.