Digantara Research and Technologies is positioning itself as a vital infrastructure provider for both commercial and defense sectors in India’s evolving space landscape. Founded by Anirudh Sharma and Rahul Rawat in 2018, the company aims to deliver “space situational awareness,” akin to a Google Maps for orbit navigation.

With over 11,000 active satellites and rising, understanding space dynamics is crucial. “We need a mechanism to navigate orbits and comprehend the situation,” says CEO Sharma. Unlike aviation and maritime sectors, space lacks recognized international regulations, making Digantara’s work increasingly significant amid current geopolitical tensions.

The startup is not only focused on situational awareness but also on ambitious “space domain awareness,” which encompasses a comprehensive understanding of activities in orbit. To support these goals, Digantara is developing two key software platforms: Space-MAP (Space Mission Assurance Platform) and STARS (Space Threat Assessment and Response Suite).

Recent efforts have centered on building essential products and services, including electro-optical sensors for tracking resident space objects. The company is establishing a network of space-based and ground-based telescopic observatories, with its first observatory planned in Ladakh.

Digantara also collects data from various governmental and commercial sources to develop analytics libraries. Earlier this year, it opened a 25,000 sq ft assembly and testing facility in Bengaluru. Its clientele includes Singapore Space and Technology, which utilizes Digantara’s data for machine learning training, and Space Machines Company, with whom it has a contract under Australia-India collaboration.

Looking ahead, Digantara aims to offer cloud-based software platforms and develop a comprehensive satellite operations management system. The initial version of STARS is already in use for defense applications, indicating a robust roadmap for future innovations.