Tea Board Sets Goal to Double Exports by 2047
Karnataka News
The Tea Board of India has set an ambitious goal to increase tea exports from approximately 230 million kg to 400 million kg by 2047. Currently, India is the second-largest tea producer in the world, producing 1,350 million kg, which accounts for 21% of global tea production. Additionally, India ranks as the fourth-largest exporter, holding a 12% share of the international tea market.
According to M. Muthukumar, the executive director of the Tea Board, the focus is not only on maintaining current production levels but also on enhancing exports through value addition. This strategy aims to achieve better prices for Indian tea in the global market. Muthukumar shared these insights during a recent meeting organized by the United Planters Association of Southern India in Coonoor.
Read More: The Indian Market: Price-Sensitive but Full of Opportunities
Tea Board Plans Global E-Marketplace and Export Boost to Meet Changing Consumption Patterns
“The board is looking at establishing a global e-market place for sourcing tea directly from the origin, as consumption patterns were expected to see a change. The tea sector should strengthen research and development and bring in block chain technology for traceability in the supply chain,” he said.
Another senior official from the Tea Board stated that the plan is to boost tea exports to between 260 and 270 million kg within the next two years. The government has introduced several initiatives, particularly market promotion schemes, to support this goal. The official emphasized that the tea sector should take advantage of these opportunities to explore new markets and expand its reach.
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XDLINX Space Labs Plans to Launch Five Versatile Satellites by 2025
XDLINX Space Labs, an Indian space technology start-up specializing in nano and micro satellites with hosted payload options, has announced plans to launch five additional satellites by 2025. The company successfully deployed its first satellite for a customer in February 2023 from a facility operated by ISRO.
“The demand for multi-functional satellites, which means multiple payloads in one satellite, is growing fast from all over the world. These are modular satellites that are affordable for space missions in short spans of time compared with the traditional route,” Rupesh Gandupalli, co-founder and CEO of XDLINX Space Lab, said in an interview.
“This year we are scheduled to launch two satellites which are ready and three more next year. A total of five satellites will be launched by 2025,” he said. These satellites are in the configuration of 10kg to 150 kg. The company has developed five satellite platforms which will host different payloads for customers.
With the availability of affordable, ready-made, modular standardized solutions, many countries in Asia and Africa that previously shied away from space exploration are now eager to launch their own space missions. The development timeline has been significantly shortened from the traditional 36 to 40 months down to just 12 to 18 months, while costs have been reduced by more than 60%.
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Expanding Global Operations and Launching First E-Band Communication Satellite
“The countries we are focussing on are Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates to name a few,” he said. To tap into the fastest growing U.S. market, which is the biggest for space missions, the company has announced to start its U.S. operations this year.
It had also decided to expand its development centre in Hyderabad from 12,000 sq.ft to 60,000 sq. ft to cater to growing demand. “We are acquiring 4 acres of land and making it a 60,000 sq.ft facility. This place will be users for developing newer payloads and new generation communication systems,” he said.
The company is preparing to launch a communication satellite that will provide connectivity in the E-Band, a new frequency band, as the more commonly used K-Band has become increasingly crowded.
This E-Band is the same technology that Elon Musk is also betting on as the next generation communication system for his Starlink programme. “We are majorly focusing on this new technology which is a new revolution. It is called as E-Band. It has the highest frequency beyond K-Band. As all communications are currently done in K-Band, it has become extremely crowded,” he said.
“We developed E-Band for one of your clients who owns a huge spectrum of E Band in the entire of Africa and most of Europe. We developed the first E-Band miniature payload platform which will be launched in our T2 platform in October 2024. The satellite is ready in my office,” he added. “It will be the first-of-its-kind E-Band-based communication satellite,” he further said.
E-Band Technology to Transform Data Transmission and Satellite Capabilities
According to the company, the E-Band, with its higher frequency range, provides greater bandwidth, allowing for unprecedented data transfer speeds and improved communication performance between space and Earth. One of the most impressive aspects of the E-Band spectrum is its ability to achieve data transfer speeds that were previously unimaginable. Currently, the maximum data transfer speed stands at 1 Gbps per second, but with the introduction of E-Band technology from space, this speed is projected to increase tenfold, reaching an impressive 10 Gbps per second.
This significant boost in speed will mark a new milestone in wireless communications, enabling faster and more efficient data transmission worldwide. The enhanced performance of E-Band technology is expected to revolutionize how data is transmitted across the globe, facilitating better connectivity and communication.
XDLINX Space Labs had raised $7 million in seed funding. “Some part of the funds will be used as working capital for the various contracts that we have closed and which are in different stages of development. We will deploy 30 percent in developing technology and next generation payloads,” the CEO said.
“Standardisation is bringing down the sizes of the satellites and one can actually host multiple payloads in one satellite, bringing down the cost substantially,” he said.
“The hosted payload driven satellites are actually opening up the new markets. We are fulfilling the needs of the defence, agricultural monitoring and climate change detection through these missions,” he added.