IN-SPACe Technology Adoption Fund — up to ₹25 Crore to Take Space Technology from Lab to Market
Money for the hardest part — turning a validated technology into a product
IN-SPACe launched the Technology Adoption Fund in February 2025 with a ₹500 crore corpus. Its purpose is narrow and useful: Indian non-government entities have technologies validated in the lab at TRL 3 or 4, and no one funds the expensive, unglamorous journey to a qualified, producible product at TRL 8 or 9. TAF pays a share of that journey, cutting dependence on imported space components and building domestic supply.
The first beneficiaries, announced later in 2025, were Astrobase Space Technologies for a liquid rocket engine, SatSure Analytics for an AI-based earth-observation model, and TM2SPACE for an indigenous star tracker. The Centre's August 2026 announcement of a further ₹1,500 crore push for the space sector signals more rounds.
Funding terms
| Applicant | IN-SPACe share | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Startup or MSME | Up to 60% of project cost | ₹25 crore per project |
| Large industry | Up to 40% of project cost | ₹25 crore per project |
- •Milestone-based release against the agreed TRL roadmap
- •Access to ISRO test facilities and IN-SPACe technical mentoring
- •No equity taken; the balance of project cost is the applicant's
IN-SPACe's technical evaluation
IN-SPACe's Technical Directorate evaluates proposals with ISRO domain experts on technical merit, commercial potential and import-substitution value; the IN-SPACe Board approves awards.
Indian NGEs with a validated technology
- •Indian non-government entity — startup, MSME or large industry
- •Space technology validated at TRL 3 or 4 with a plan to reach TRL 8 or 9
- •Product with identifiable domestic or global demand
- •Capacity to fund the remaining 40% (startups and MSMEs) or 60% (large industry)
- •IN-SPACe authorisation as required for the activity
What the TAF application needs
- •Certificate of Incorporation, Udyam or DPIIT certificate, shareholding pattern
- •Technical proposal with current TRL evidence — test reports, lab validation data
- •TRL roadmap: work packages, qualification tests, milestones, timeline
- •Project cost breakdown with the applicant's share and its funding source
- •Market note: target customers, import-substitution case, LOIs where available
- •Team CVs and facilities; IP filings
- •Financial statements for the last three years; bank details
Questions founders ask about TAF
It is partial project funding paid against milestones without equity — grant-like in effect, with the company funding the balance.
They fund different stages: seed for early development, TAF for productisation. A seed grantee whose technology has reached TRL 3 or 4 is a natural TAF applicant.
Yes — it is central government support. Take the seed grant first if both are planned.
Yes. SatSure's AI-based earth-observation model was among the first awards.