Exclusive: Banijay Asia plans to send an Indian citizen into space.
The Banijay Entertainment-owned company has partnered with the Space Exploration and Research Authority (SERA) to produce a TV series highlighting the nationwide search for one ordinary Indian citizen to join the future Blue Origin New Shepard space mission.
“Banijay Asia's mission has always been to break new ground in storytelling,” said Deepak Dhar, CEO, Banijay Asia and Endemol Shine India. “We are embarking on an unprecedented journey with SERA to create a reality TV format that transcends the everyday.”
The competition aims to capture the drama, disappointment and joy as the finalists take part in challenges designed to test their courage and determination for space travel, culminating in the selection of a winner who will be the first Indian citizen to travel in space.
SERA recently chose India as a partner country for its spaceflight program, which aims to give ordinary people in countries with few or no astronauts a chance to experience space. While people like Elon Musk and Richard Branson are well known for developing their own space rockets and programs in the US and UK, SERA is focused on including developing countries in space exploration.
SERA co-founder Sam Hutchison said the falling cost of space travel has allowed the group to operate more democratically than traditional government-owned space organizations, and the group is set to buy its own rockets in 2022.
“India has an incredible space program and we are living in an incredible moment right now. We have a great economy, companies developing new technologies and lots of engineering students and researchers,” Sukrula said. He added that the winner will be required to spend a day in space and engage in research. “We are looking for India's next generation of astronauts,” he said.
Skurla said the SERA programme has a great natural storyline and Banijay Asia will be able to creatively unravel that story. “Banijay has in-depth knowledge of the local market and will help us adapt the project,” he added.
“When Josh and Sam started sharing their vision, it felt like it was aligned with ours,” Dhar said. “We have complementary businesses. SERA has the infrastructure, the levers and the process, and we have the global knowledge of the format. We see this as a mass-based program, reaching out to 1.4 billion people in India and getting them signed up, and we want to find that one Indian who can fill that position. Finding that person will be a source of national pride.”
On this mission, six citizens from around the world will board Blue Origin's reusable suborbital rocket, New Shepard, and fly 100 km in 11 minutes, crossing the Kármán Line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.
“SERA was founded on the idea of opening up space to everyone. Our mission is to inspire and enable people of all backgrounds to explore space, forging a new era of discovery and understanding. Our partnership with Banijay Asia allows us to reach a diverse audience with space and science content. With their innovative approach, we hope to transform this historic effort into a movement that not only inspires millions of people, but also fosters a global dialogue on the future of space exploration.”
Banijay Asia is already in talks with streamers and networks about the restructuring, with filming expected to take place in the first half of 2025. Dahl acknowledged that the format could potentially be adopted by other members of the Banijay Entertainment Group.
