Former ISRO Official Reveals Details of Failed Devas-Antrix Deal, Blames Technology Control Regimes for Failure

In a stunning revelation, a former additional secretary in the Department of Space has come forward to reveal the details of the failed Devas-Antrix deal, which was at the center of a high-profile corruption case. The official, S K Das, who was among those charged with corruption in March this year, has told the CBI that the deal was part of ISRO's attempts to bring new communication technology to India amid technology control regimes imposed

Das, who was also a member of the finance committee in the Department of Space, revealed that Antrix, the ISRO commercial arm, signed a satellite deal with Devas Multimedia Pvt Ltd in 2005. At that time, India was in urgent need of technology to deliver video, multi-media and information services via satellite to mobile receivers in vehicles and mobile phones across the country.

Das stated that only three countries had the technology at that point, South Korea, Japan and the United States, but the US technology was adaptable in India. However, ISRO was operating under technology control regimes imposed

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Das also revealed that Dr Kasturirangan, the then Chairman of ISRO, led a team to the US in August 2003 to explore the possibility of getting access to this technology. Das was part of the team and warned him that the exploration was top-secret due to the nature of the technology involved.

Under the Antrix-Devas deal, ISRO was supposed to lease two communication satellites for 12 years at a cost of Rs 167 crore to Devas Multimedia. A new company will offer multimedia services to Indian mobile users