The Space Activities Bill, 2017 was a proposed legislation proposal by the Government of India, first made public as a draft by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in November 2017. It was created to establish a legal framework to regulate and promote space activities in India, particularly by encouraging the participation of non-governmental and private sector agencies. The problem it aimed to solve was the lack of a clear, dedicated national space law, which constrained the growing private space industry and was necessary to comply with international obligations like the Outer Space Treaty and the Liability Convention.
The draft Bill's mechanism included provisions for the Central Government to grant a non-transferable licence to any person carrying out commercial space activity. Key provisions mandated that all space activities, which include the launch, use, and operation of a space object, would require authorization and licensing. It also provided for the protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) created through space activity and established a mechanism for the licensee to provide insurance and indemnity against damages, thereby sharing the liability burden with the government. The Bill connected to the larger space sector reforms, which led to the establishment of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) as an independent nodal agency. The Space Activities Bill, 2017 was officially shelved after being deemed 'obsolete' due to criticism regarding its restrictive nature. It has been replaced by a new draft of the Space Activities Bill, which was finalized in May 2025 and aims to grant statutory powers to IN-SPACe.