New Delhi [India], June 18 : Pixxel Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Kshitij Khandelwal has said that acquiring land for a satellite manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Bengaluru proved to be far more difficult than building the satellites themselves.
The CTO highlighted the infrastructure and administrative hurdles encountered by advanced technology and aerospace startups when expanding their physical operations in the Bengaluru region.
"Trying to get land for making a satellite factory in the outskirts of BLR has been way more difficult than actually making said satellites," Khandelwal stated on X.
https://x.com/kshitijgokul/status/2067123695253110835
The public statement regarding the manufacturing constraints immediately prompted reactions from regional administrators who sought to address the firm's industrial land requirements.
Karnataka Minister for Commerce and Industries, Infrastructure M B Patil responded directly to the startup executive's post to offer official assistance from the state government.
"My office will be in touch," Patil replied.
Following the state minister's intervention and assurance of administrative support, the Pixxel co-founder acknowledged the response, stating, "Thank you, looking forward!"
https://x.com/kshitijgokul/status/2067142447755657285
The public discussion concerning the firm's real estate acquisition difficulties also attracted competitive interest from neighbouring state administrations, with Andhra Pradesh extending an invitation to house the proposed satellite factory.
Andhra Pradesh Minister for IT, Electronics and Communication Nara Lokesh responded to Khandelwal's original post, positioning an adjacent region as an alternative industrial destination for the aerospace startup.
"Kshitij, there's a new investor-friendly destination on the outskirts of Bengaluru. It's called Anantapur," Lokesh stated.
The Andhra Pradesh minister emphasised that his administration is specifically structuring industrial zones to eliminate the real estate bottlenecks that distract entrepreneurs from core technological development.
"We're building Space Cities, aerospace parks and ready-to-go industrial ecosystems so founders can spend their time building satellites instead of hunting for land," Lokesh added.
Lokesh subsequently directed the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board to initiate formal contact with the space technology company to discuss potential investment opportunities.
"@AP_EDB please get in touch. #ChooseSpeedChooseAP," Lokesh added.
https://x.com/naralokesh/status/2067222233022697804
The space technology firm, founded by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal in 2019, raised a total of USD 95 million across all funding rounds, as of 2024.