PM Modi calls for India to become global hub for space innovation
New Delhi, August 21. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 21 interacted with the founders and chief executive officers of 20 Indian space startups at Seva Teerth, urging the private sector to expand the use of space technologies across industries and help establish India as a global hub for space innovation.
The interaction brought together entrepreneurs working across a wide range of areas, including rocket development, reusable semi-cryogenic launch vehicles, avionics, satellites, advanced propulsion, space and defence intelligence, space-debris removal, and AI-based weather and climate intelligence.
The startup leaders briefed the Prime Minister on the rapid growth of India’s private space industry and outlined their plans for the sector’s future. They said their companies had invested substantial time and resources in developing technologies and capabilities domestically, while acknowledging the support extended by the government.
The CEOs also highlighted the importance of collaboration within the industry and said their teams were working with determination to pursue ambitious goals in the space sector. They recalled that the decision to open the sector to private participation had generated considerable enthusiasm and created new opportunities for businesses. Several companies, they added, are now exploring ways to adopt technologies developed by emerging Indian space firms.
Modi congratulated the entrepreneurs for taking the lead in what he described as a new and challenging area. He said the confidence demonstrated by private space companies had reinforced the vision behind opening the sector to private participation.
The Prime Minister said India has a significant opportunity to strengthen its position in the global space industry, noting that many countries either lack the resources or the willingness to invest in the sector.
He encouraged space companies to identify new applications for their technologies and focus on solutions that can directly improve people’s lives. He also called for greater collaboration between space startups and organisations in other sectors.
As an example, Modi suggested that companies developing technologies for removing space debris could work with environmental organisations to expand their applications. Similarly, space technology firms serving the agriculture sector could partner with agricultural universities and government departments to help farmers make better-informed decisions and improve productivity.
The Prime Minister also stressed the need to build an ecosystem in which India becomes a natural destination for global space-related talent, companies and investment. He said the country’s space sector should create an environment where the world looks towards India whenever it thinks about space.
Calling for stronger links between the space industry and Atal Tinkering Labs, Modi said such collaboration could spark curiosity about space among children and encourage interest in the sector from an early age.
The meeting was attended by founders and CEOs of 20 space startups, including 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.
