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The polar satellite launch vehicle's success heralds India's entry into the elite club of satellite launching nations. Now that a German and a South Korean satellite have been launched by Indian rockets, India can well become the preferred destination for launching smaller satellites. Low costs have contributed to Russian and Chinese market share in the fiercely competitive satellite-launch market and, with Indian launch-costs being some 30 per cent cheaper, business should come India's way. Foreign satellites launched have been on a promotional basis, but they have achieved their objective, which was to prove beyond doubt India's capability in the field. Success has been sweeter because of US sanctions on technology transfer after India went nuclear. PSLV-C2's launch was originally scheduled for last year, and while sanctions have delayed the launch they were unable to prevent it.
The launch underlines the importance of continuing research on space and missile programmes, especially on geosynchronoussatellite launch vehicle, which can put into orbit much larger satellites. It also proves the commercial possibilities of investing in scientific and defence technology. It needs to be remembered that Boeing, one of the showpieces of American free enterprise owes much of its competitive advantage to publicly-funded defence research. In fact, defence research has been the catalyst for a whole slew of new applications, including the Internet in its infancy. Far from today's conventional wisdom that the government should keep out of business, a study of US competitive advantage will show that it is publicly paid for defence research which has ushered in American predominance in high-tech industries. We need to draw the right lessons from that fact.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
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