Seeks greater private-sector role
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called for creating an ecosystem in which India becomes a global hub for space technology, talent, companies and investment, saying the country should aspire to be the place the world looks towards when it thinks of space.
Modi made the remarks while interacting with CEOs and founders of 20 space startups at Seva Teerth, where he highlighted the expanding role of India’s private space industry and the opportunity before the country to strengthen its position in the global space sector.
“Where the world thinks of space, it looks towards India,” Modi said, calling for an ecosystem that can attract global talent, companies and investment to the country.
He said many countries either cannot invest in the space sector or do not wish to invest in it, presenting India with a major opportunity to rapidly expand its global position in space.
The Prime Minister congratulated the startup leaders for showing confidence and taking the lead in a new and emerging area. He said the confidence demonstrated by private space companies had strengthened the vision behind opening the sector to private participation.
Modi also urged Indian space companies to look beyond existing applications and explore ways in which their technologies could make people’s lives easier.
Calling for greater cross-sector collaboration, he suggested that companies developing technologies for removing space debris could work with environmental organisations to scale up their solutions.
Similarly, space technology companies working in agriculture could collaborate with agricultural universities and government departments to help farmers make better-informed decisions and maximise their output.
The Prime Minister also called for closer collaboration between space startups and Atal Tinkering Labs, saying such engagement could foster curiosity and interest in space technology among children from an early age.
The interaction was attended by CEOs and founders of 20 startups working across areas including rockets, reusable semi-cryogenic launch vehicles, avionics, satellites, advanced propulsion systems, space and defence intelligence, space-debris removal and AI-powered hyperlocal weather and climate intelligence.
The startup leaders highlighted the rapid progress of India’s private space industry and said companies from across the world were showing growing interest in adopting and leveraging technologies developed by India’s emerging space sector.
They also appreciated the decision to open the space sector to private participation, saying it had generated enthusiasm and created multiple new opportunities for industry.
The participating startups included Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, Pixxel, Dhruva Space, GalaxEye, PierSight, Bellatrix Aerospace, Digantara, SatSure, Suhora Technologies, Manastu Space, Astrobase, TakeMe2Space, VyomIC, Cosmoserve Space, OrbitAID Aerospace, SkyServe (Hyspace), Serendipity Space, Vassar Labs and mistEO.
