TN’s Hosur pitch meets competition as neighbouring states woo space firms

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has joined Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in courting two space-sector entrepreneurs exploring expansion opportunities near Bengaluru, underscoring the intensifying competition among southern states to attract investments in the rapidly growing aerospace and satellite manufacturing sector.

The latest investment pitch battle unfolded on social media after Pixxel co-founder and chief technology officer Kshitij Khandelwal said that acquiring land for a satellite manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Bengaluru had proved way more difficult than actually making said satellites.

Sensing an opportunity, Guidance Tamil Nadu, the state’s investment promotion agency, invited the company to consider Hosur for its proposed expansion. “Hope our team is already in touch with you. With its strategic location and strong manufacturing ecosystem, Hosur, Tamil Nadu, could be the ideal destination for your next phase of expansion,” the agency said.

The episode comes as states increasingly compete to attract high-value investments in emerging sectors such as space technology, satellite manufacturing and aerospace engineering, where access to talent, infrastructure and industrial ecosystems is becoming a key factor in investment decisions.

The post quickly drew responses from neighbouring States. Karnataka Minister for Commerce and Industries MB Patil responded, saying, “My office will be in touch.” Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh also joined the conversation, pitching Anantapur as an alternative destination near Bengaluru.

“Kshitij, there’s a new investor-friendly destination on the outskirts of Bengaluru. It’s called Anantapur. 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 said.

In a similar development, Astrobase Space and CoinDCX Co-founder Neeraj Khandelwal said the company was looking to expand its 3D-printing facility for rocket engine production and was searching for land at reasonable prices around Bengaluru airport.

Guidance Tamil Nadu once again stepped in, urging the company to explore opportunities in Hosur. However, Neeraj Khandelwal indicated that the expansion was intended to remain close to the company’s existing base near Bengaluru.

“This 3D-printing facility is already located near Bengaluru as of today. This is the area where Astrobase started from. Not Hosur. North is better for aerospace talent,” he said.

While the responses on social media highlighted the advantages of remaining within Bengaluru’s aerospace ecosystem, TN officials maintained that discussions with the companies were continuing through official channels.

Senior government sources said the state remained actively engaged with the investors and expressed confidence that efforts to secure the proposed investments were still underway.