NEW DELHI (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Indian Space Association, a grouping of space and satellite companies, at a virtual event on October 11, the industry body said on Thursday.

Indian Space Association (ISpA) represents home-grown and global corporations with advanced capabilities in space and satellite technologies.

Its founding members include Bharti Airtel, Larsen & Toubro, Nelco (Tata Group), OneWeb, Mapmyindia, Walchandnagar Industries and Ananth Technology Limited.

Other core members include Godrej, Hughes India, Azista-BST Aerospace Private Limited, BEL, Centum Electronics and Maxar India.

"We are truly honoured to have the Hon'ble Prime Minister grace the launch ceremony and outline his vision for the growth of India's space industry and making our nation a global leader in the space arena," ISpA Director General A K Bhatt said in a statement.

L&T-NxT Senior Executive Vice President for Defence, Jayant Patil has been appointed as the first chairman of ISpA, while Bharti Airtel's Chief Regulatory Officer Rahul Vatts will serve as vice chairman.