Tata Communications, a leading provider of A New World of Communications™, today announced its official association as the communications partner for Team Indus, India's only competitor in the USD 30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE.

As the largest international incentivised prize competition aimed at developing low-cost methods of robotic space exploration, the Google Lunar XPRIZE is challenging privately funded teams to safely land a spacecraft on the surface of the moon that travels at least 500 meters and transmits high-definition video, images and data back to Earth. TeamIndus is on a mission to lead India into the next generation of space exploration and aviation technology.

In this partnership, Tata Communications brings its connectivity and prowess in the cloud and data centre services to provide TeamIndus with mission critical communication services. State-of the-art Content Delivery Network (CDN) Solution, Web Hosting and Flight Path Big Data Analytics and Secured Private Network are some of the solutions that are in place to help TeamIndus edge closer to their end goal. With its global subsea cable network, Tata Communications already had the world covered and the TeamIndus association now takes this reach to new heights.

Julie Woods-Moss, chief marketing officer and CEO of Tata Communications' Nextgen Business says, ''There are few projects that are as inspiring and aspirational as a space mission. To be part of Team Indus' mission to the moon in pursuit of the Google Lunar XPRIZE and to help achieve their goal of a successful lunar mission that will send back data, video and images, ultimately transforming our understanding of the lunar landscape, is truly pioneering. Our engagement with India’s competitor for this important prize reflects our determined focus on thinking ambitiously and differently in everything we do.''

Shares of the company gained Rs 10.5, or 2.44%, to trade at Rs 440.00. The total volume of shares traded was 123,800 at the BSE (1.41 p.m., Wednesday).