Canadian entity Caneus International has signed an MoU with the Multi-Modal International Passengers and Cargo Hub (MIHAN) here to set up a facility for manufacturing small satellites.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Friday by MIHAN Managing Director Vishwas Patil and Caneus international Chairman Milind Pimprikar in the presence of Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Nagpur's guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
Estimated to cost around Rs.150 crore, the facility will be set up over a 50-acre plot alloted to Caneus in MIHAN and provide jobs to about 400-500 persons on completion, Gadkari told reporters.
Pimprikar, an NRI who hails from Vidarbha, was originally planning to set up the unit in Bengaluru but was persuaded to select Nagpur at the 'Make In India Week' which completed in Mumbai last week, Gadkari said.
Pimprikar's company has already been supplying satellites for various public sector projets, railways, roads, agriculture and works with Indian Space Research Organisation's MRO Centre.
Pimprikar said his company utilizes micro and nano-technologies to produce affordable satellites as per customers' requirements.
"Specific satellites are needed as per usage by railways, traffic management, shipping, even in agriculture and we strive to fulfil their needs," Pimprikar explained.
Referring to the prohibitive costs of such satellites -- around USD 300-400 million -- Pimprikar said CANEUS provides them at more affordable rates and are supplied to around 23 countries worldwide.
Pimprikar completed his early education in Nandur of Vidarbha region and later pursued engineering in Pune before shifting to Canada some 35 years ago.
Last year, he had announced plan to dedicate the GlobalSat for Disaster Risk Reduction under the United Nations framework to late Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a visionary rocket scientist who died last year.
