BENGALURU, July 27 (Reuters) - The Indian government's effort to privatise part of its space programme by opening bids to build its small satellite launch rocket has attracted initial interest from 20 companies, an official overseeing the process told Reuters. India's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation, the national space agency, and had its first successful satellite launch in February. The bid to take over manufacturing and development of the SSLV rocket programme was the first privatisation of its kind under that policy. Pawan Goenka, chairman of IN-SPACe, said 20 companies had submitted an "expression of interest" (EOI) in the rocket programme. India is aiming to increase its share of the global satellite launch market by fivefold within the next decade.

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Persons: Narendra Modi, Pawan Goenka, Goenka, Nivedita, Kevin Krolicki, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, India's, Indian Space Research Organisation, SpaceX, Indian, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, Bengaluru