Indeed, after the US government licensed the export to Malaysia of MEASAT communications satellites, in late 2002, it also made an amendment to an already existing technical assistance agreement to add Antrix Corporation Ltd, the commercial and marketing arm of ISRO, and to export to Antrix technical data and defence services in support of marketing activities for the sale of communications satellites to the Malaysian firm, Binariang Satellite Systems, for the MEASAT programme. Subsequently, in late 2004, in the presence of the Indian and Malaysian prime ministers, Antrix corporation and MEASAT International signed an agreement for the joint marketing of satellite capacity and a letter of intent for the procurement, launch and putting into orbit of MEASAT-4 satellite from the Antrix Corporation.

In addition, for providing communications satellite services, fabrication with US components and launch of US communications satellites, the completion of a number of technical assistance agreements must be negotiated between the two countries.

Therefore, before ISRO can become a serious player in the international communications satellite launch business, a number of things need to be done on a priority basis. First, the GSLV needs to be successfully developed. Second, negotiations with the US to include India amongst the countries eligible for the comsat licensing procedures should begin. And third, technical assistance agreements need to be negotiated.

All these are complex operations, and the process of completion of these requires to be started now. Only then can ISRO leverage its technical strengths and cost effective programmes, to become a strong competitor to the other communications satellite fabrication and launch service providers. It can also suitably leverage the current improved Indo-US relations to forge collaboration with American firms to jointly offer these services to the US and third parties.

... contd.