SatSure Receives ₹24.6 Crore Grant for AI-Powered Earth Observation
Bengaluru-based spacetech startup SatSure Analytics has secured a ₹24.6 crore ($2.57 million) grant from India’s space regulator IN-SPACe under its Technology Adoption Fund (TAF) scheme . The funding will support the development of Dhaarini, a Large Earth Observation Model (LOM) designed to serve as India’s foundational AI platform for remote sensing applications .
📊 Grant Details at a Glance
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🤖 Dhaarini: India’s Foundational AI Platform for Earth Observation
Dhaarini will be trained on diverse satellite and aerial datasets, combining satellite and drone data tailored to Indian conditions . The initiative aims to improve upon global models, which often struggle to capture local geographic and climatic variations accurately.
Key data to be incorporated:
- Monsoon patterns
- Agricultural landscapes
- Urban expansion
- Infrastructure development
- Climate dynamics
“Earth observation is moving from project-specific analytics to reusable intelligence infrastructure. These models could help build decision-making systems that better reflect India’s geography, climate dynamics, agricultural diversity and infrastructure requirements.”
— Rashmit Singh Sukhmani, Co-founder & CTO, SatSure
🌍 Applications Across Sectors
The AI-powered Earth observation models will generate actionable insights across multiple domains :
| Sector | Applications |
|---|---|
| Agriculture | Crop health monitoring, yield forecasting, precision farming |
| Infrastructure | Urban planning, resource allocation, development monitoring |
| Disaster Management | Early warning systems, response coordination, damage assessment |
| Climate Monitoring | Environmental tracking, change detection, sustainability planning |
| Finance | Risk assessment, insurance underwriting, asset monitoring |
🚀 TAF Scheme: Bridging the Gap from Lab to Market
The ₹500 crore Technology Adoption Fund (TAF) scheme, launched by IN-SPACe in February 2026, supports Indian industry in absorbing, adapting, and commercialising advanced space technologies . Under the scheme, IN-SPACe supports up to 60% of project costs for startups and MSMEs, subject to a cap of ₹25 crore per project .
“The selection of these projects under the Technology Adoption Fund marks a pivotal step in our mission to transform Indian private entities into global space leaders. With this fund, our vision is to bridge the critical gap between early-stage development and commercial success.”
— Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe
🌏 The Bigger Picture: Building Sovereign AI Capabilities
Governments worldwide are increasingly investing in domestic AI and geospatial intelligence systems to curb dependence on foreign technology, as satellite data becomes critical for climate management, disaster response and national security .
India has been actively encouraging private participation in its space sector, traditionally led by ISRO, while also launching a ₹1,000 crore fund to help space startups expand their operations . SatSure’s grant also supports its participation in India’s partnership programme to develop a commercial satellite constellation .
SatSure is among the first three non-governmental entities (NGEs) to receive funding under the TAF scheme, alongside Astrobase Space Technologies (developing an 800 kN reusable rocket engine) and TM2SPACE Technologies (developing an AI-powered star tracker system) .
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