India is planning to establish a dedicated Atmospheric and Space Science Research Facility (ASRF) at Chandipur in Balasore district, Odisha, to advance research into atmospheric processes and the space environment.
The facility is being developed jointly by the Department of Space, the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Department of Space has invited tenders for the project, envisioned as a major research site for scientific experiments and investigations.
The centre will build on the existing Balasore Rocket Launching Station, operational since 1979, where sounding rockets have been launched to carry scientific instruments into the upper atmosphere and collect data that is difficult to obtain from the ground.
Research at the proposed facility is expected to improve understanding of weather systems, atmospheric conditions, radio signal propagation and interactions between Earth’s atmosphere and space.
According to a December 2024 Rajya Sabha reply by Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, the project is a joint initiative of the three government agencies.
The estimated project cost is ₹9.06 crore, including ₹5.67 crore for civil and plumbing work, ₹2.97 crore for electrical installations and ₹42 lakh for air-conditioning.
Construction is expected to take 15 months from the work order date.
Indian contractors can download tender documents from October 23 to November 12, 2026. Bids must be submitted by November 20 and technical bids are scheduled to open on November 23.
The ₹18.12-lakh earnest money deposit requirement exempts micro and small enterprises.
