India is aiming for an eightfold increase in its share of the global space economy by 2047. The Indian ‘sunrise’ commercial space sector is benefiting from the government’s reforms, though gaps remain. The exact size of India’s domestic space economy is unknown, and the export promotion strategy for the space sector is unclear. This brief outlines three recommendations in parallel with the articulation of India’s National Space Policy. First, a new space-sector-specific items category in India’s SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment, and Technologies) export controls list is needed. Second, India’s domestic ITC-HS system could be revised to enable precise classification of the entire range of space-sector items and services that are currently scattered across various HS chapters. Lastly, India should advocate for similar space-items amendments during the World Customs Organization’s HS Nomenclature Amendments in 2034.
Charting a Path to Controlled Growth for India’s ‘Sunrise’ Space Economy
