Tamil Nadu is preparing a skilled workforce for the upcoming ISRO launch facility at Kulasekarapattinam by giving engineering students opportunities to work on satellite technology.
The Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology (TNSCST) will invite applications from engineering colleges in November for 10 student satellite design projects. Each selected team will receive a grant of ₹5 lakh to develop functional satellite subsystems, payloads or CubeSat models within a year.
Final-year undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students can submit proposals in areas including imaging payloads and sensors, telemetry and communication, onboard data handling and AI, electrical power systems, structural design and thermal control.
Funding will cover satellite components, fabrication, PCB printing, environmental testing, calibration, travel and expert consultations.
The initiative is part of Tamil Nadu’s proposed Space Technology Special Investment Zone in the Thoothukudi-Tirunelveli region, which will be anchored by ISRO’s new launch facility. The state has allocated ₹50 lakh for the student satellite programme.
A proposed mentorship panel includes former ISRO satellite centre director Mylswamy Annadurai, experts from IIT Madras and Anna University, ISRO scientists and founders of Chennai-based space startups Agnikul Cosmos and GalaxEye Space.
