Antrix ends fiscal with strong topline growth

Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of the Department of Space, has ended the year to March with strong topline growth. It increased its business in both transponder leasing and selling remote sensing data.

"We are still in the process of auditing our figures, but my estimate is we will have ended the year with revenues of over Rs 400 crore," chief executive officer Sridhar Murthy told Business Standard.

At Rs 400 crore, revenues will have risen 36 per cent over the previous year. During the year, Antrix's telecommunications revenues grew strongly, and the Indian Space Research Organisation continued to boost its international sales of remote sensing data, ISRO's annual report said.

Antrix has a global marketing partnership with Space Imaging, a US-based firm, to sell data from the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites. Antrix and ISRO had devoted "substantial efforts to create a niche market" for Resourcesat (IRS P6) data, the report said.

The international network of ground stations that receive IRS data now comprises 10 stations for IRS-1C/1D, five stations for Oceansat-1 and three stations for Resourcesat across the world. A station is being set up in Beijing, China. The diversity of services possible through Resourcesat has widened the IRS ground segment market.

Antrix is in the process of setting up stations in Iran and Algeria. Antrix is also planning to create a world archive through an additional station at Svalbard, Norway, the report said.

In the launch services area, a contract with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, for the launch of its satellite, is "progressing smoothly".

Agreements have been entered into with Cosmos Satellitestart GmbH, Germany, for launch of Italian Agile satellite and with Aerospace Electronics Technology Centre (LAPAN), Indonesia for launch of LAPAN-Tubsat, both on ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles, the report said.

The transponder lease services has registered a 64 per cent growth in revenues with a significant portion of Insat capacity being leased to domestic service providers for television and VSAT services. The segment has received a fillip with the requirements of transponder capacity for DTH services, the report said.

During the year, there has been good progress in provision of mission (telemetry tracking and command) support services to international customers. Antrix has entered into contracts with Inmarsat and United Space Networks for provision of support during satellite missions, the report said.

On the satellite front, Antrix has entered into a joint venture agreement with Measat International (South Asia) Ltd (MISAL) Malaysia, to develop satellite services from Insat and Measat systems.

The joint venture company is expected to leverage Insat and Measat systems to provide commercial satellite services across the entire Asia-Pacific region.

By pooling the satellite capacity available from Insat and Measat systems, the JV expected to significantly improve its ability to serve satellite communications and broadcasting customers across the Indian, Malaysian and regional markets, while reducing capital expenditure.

Simultaneously, a letter of intent was also signed by Measat systems indicating interest to procure Measat-4 satellite from Antrix Corporation to meet the capacity requirements of Measat systems, the report said.

Antrix has been conferred the regional award for the highest export (in the services exporter "" non-SSI group) during the year 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 by the Engineering Export Promotion Council, Southern Region.