The Tamil Nadu government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IN-SPACe -- a single-window nodal agency for all space sector activities of Non-Government Entities (NGE) in India -- to come up with programs to promote space and allied sector in the state.

The MoU was signed between Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena and IN-SPACe Chairman Dr Pawan Kumar Goenka in Chennai. IN-SPACe will also help the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) in establishing a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for the space sector.

The move comes after the state government announced setting up of a Space Industrial and Propellants Park spread over an area of 2,000 acres in Thoothukudi district, where the country’s second spaceport is coming up at a cost of Rs 950 crore.

The project will come up in the next two years and the spaceport will exclusively serve the burgeoning small satellite sector with 100 per cent FDI being allowed in the space sector.