Pixxel co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Kshitij Khandelwal
A post on X by Pixxel co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Kshitij Khandelwal regarding the difficulties of securing land for a satellite factory near Bengaluru has led to competing public pitches from three southern States- Karnataka, Andhra, and Tamil Nadu. In his social media statement, Khandelwal noted that acquiring land on the outskirts of the Bengaluru had proven to be far more difficult than manufacturing the satellites themselves.
The public observation regarding administrative and infrastructure challenges quickly caught the attention of regional government officials. In direct response, Karnataka’s Commerce and Industries Minister, M B Patil, stated via X that his office would be in touch to address the matter and assist the company. Khandelwal acknowledged the response, stating that he looked forward to the discussion.
Competitive interest
However, the exchange quickly drew competitive interest from neighbouring States aiming to capture the deep-tech investment. Andhra Pradesh’s Minister for Human Resources Development, Information Technology, and Electronics, Lokesh Nara, publicly invited the space-tech startup to consider setting up operations in Anantapur. Positioning the district as a nearby alternative, Nara highlighted the state’s active development of “Space Cities,” aerospace parks, and ready-to-go industrial ecosystems designed to prevent land-hunting bottlenecks for founders.
He directed the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board to initiate contact using the hashtag #ChooseSpeedChooseAP.
Shortly thereafter, Tamil Nadu’s investment promotion agency, Guidance Tamil Nadu, entered the fray by pitching Hosur as an alternative destination. The agency cited Hosur’s strategic geographic proximity to Bengaluru and its established manufacturing ecosystem for the company’s next expansion phase. This rapid succession of official online responses highlights a growing trend where regional governments actively monitor digital platforms to pitch land availability directly to advanced technology sectors.
Published on June 18, 2026
