The announcement to launch IN-SPACe under the Department of Space was made in June 2020 to serve as the bridge between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and other government agencies and the private sector to develop a commercially viable and vibrant space ecosystem in India. Its mandate is to regulate and promote the building of routine satellites, rockets, and commercial launch services through Indian companies.
Former managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra Pawan Kumar Goenka has been appointed as the chairperson of the Indian National Space Promotion Authorization Centre (In-SPACe). During his R&D tenure in M&M, he led the development of the Scorpio SUV. IN-SPACe functions as an independent nodal agency under the Department of Space, Government of India.
Goenka, an IIT alumnus, had been associated with two major automobile companies – General Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra – in his professional career that spanned over four decades. He retired as the MD of the company on April 1, 2021, after spending 27 years with the Mahindra Group.