L&T Sees Growth Potential In Launch Services Business Over Next Five Years
The company's defence arm has an additional Rs 500 crore worth of orders from ISRO.
Larsen & Toubro Ltd. said there would be a lot of interest in the Indian space sector from various countries following the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
L&T, which has supplied various components to the Indian Space Research Organisation for Chandrayaan-3, has a long-term perspective on the country's space sector. The defence arm of the company expects healthy growth in the launch market, with the overall reliability of its launch vehicles and fierce competitiveness in the segment.
"I see a lot of potential in the launch services business, which we expect to grow in a significant way in a horizon of three to five years," Arun Ramchandani, head of defence at L&T, told BQ Prime.
Ramchandani sees an increased participation of private enterprises in the space launch segment in the form of providing launch services.
File photo of Arun Ramchandani. (Source: Ficci/X)
Partnership With ISRO
The critical booster segments—head-end segment, middle segment and nozzle bucket flange—were manufactured and proof-pressure tested at L&T’s facility in Powai, Mumbai.
Other contributions to the mission included supply of ground and flight umbilical plates, manufactured from its hi-tech aerospace manufacturing facility in Coimbatore, according to the company.
It has built the back panel of the launch vehicle, along with radars and a deep-space network antenna, Ramchandani said.
"We have had a five-decade-long partnership with ISRO," he said. L&T looks to continue participating in all new technology vehicles.
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Upcoming Projects
The company's defence order book stands at over Rs 20,000 crore due to the government's thrust on indigenisation and self-reliance. It also has an active order book of Rs 500 crore solely with ISRO, according to Ramchandani.
The company is currently executing a contract for ISRO through a consortium with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
The companies are jointly building the solid motors of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on a 50-50 work share basis. "This will be an industry-led launch for five PSLVs," Ramchandani said. He called it the "new era" in space launch systems.
The upcoming projects that L&T looks forward to are the Gaganyaan mission and the transfer of technology from ISRO for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, Ramchandani said.
