By R Anil Kumar
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Dr V Narayanan outlines ambitious roadmap: New launchpad at Sriharikota, space station by 2035, Gaganyaan in 2027, and 12 missions lined up this year
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ISRO targets 52 new satellites and 12 launches in 2025, with space station module set for 2028; India’s space economy poised to hit $44 bn by 2033
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Narayanan laid out an ambitious vision for India’s space future, projecting that the country would be on par with global space powers by 2040 in terms of technology, application capabilities, and infrastructure
Bengaluru. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr V Narayanan said India would need to nearly triple the number of its operational satellites in space, from the current 55 to around 150, within the next three years to meet growing national demand.
Speaking at the GP Birla Memorial Lecture on Indian Space Programme – Accomplishments, Challenges and Future Perspectives, Narayanan said ISRO aims to match global standards in space technology, applications and infrastructure by 2040.
Narayanan was bestowed with the GP Birla Memorial Award at the event.
Recalling ISRO’s achievement in placing 100 satellites in a single launch, Narayanan highlighted how the data accumulated by the organisation benefits everyday sectors such as agriculture and fisheries through accurate weather alerts and resource mapping.
He confirmed that 12 launch vehicle missions are scheduled for this year, including the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), which will be launched using India’s GSLV F16 rocket on July 30.
“Now we are working on building our own space station. We are going to have our own Chandrayaan landing. At present, 55 satellites are in orbit serving the common man. In the next three years, that number has to become nearly three times,” the ISRO chairman said.
Sriharikota to get new launchpad
ISRO chief Narayanan added that the first module of India’s space station will be launched in 2028, with full construction targeted for 2035. The Gaganyaan mission, India’s first human spaceflight programme, is expected to take off in early 2027.
As part of ISRO’s ongoing international collaboration, he confirmed that India and Japan are jointly developing the Chandrayaan-5/LUPEX mission. “We are building the satellite together, and the launch will be conducted by Japan. Chandrayaan-3’s lander mass was 1,600 kg; this will be 6,600 kg,” he said.
ISRO is also preparing to launch a 6,500 kg US communication satellite in the next three months using Indian launch vehicles. In the last decade, the agency has placed 518 satellites in orbit, including 433 foreign satellites from 34 countries.
He noted that space sector reforms are progressing, with ISRO transitioning from a service-oriented model to one that actively pursues commercial opportunities. This includes plans for missions to Venus and Mars, as well as the Samudrayaan project for deep-sea exploration.
Narayanan said the Union government has approved the construction of a third launch pad at Sriharikota at an estimated cost of Rs 4,000 crore.
The ISRO chief also referenced the indigenous development of advanced propulsion systems, including electric and nuclear propulsion, air-breathing engines, and reusable space vehicles.
He also mentioned SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) and said India had successfully placed a satellite in the Earth’s L1 orbit point in a single attempt.
Reflecting on ISRO’s growth, Narayanan acknowledged the contributions of past scientific leaders including Dr Vikram Sarabhai, Dr Satish Dhawan, and Prof Chitnis, stating that ISRO’s evolution has been a collective effort.
India’s Space Economy
India’s space economy is projected to grow more than fivefold to $44 billion by 2033 from $8.4 billion in 2022. Communication systems, Earth observation, satellite manufacturing, and navigation services are expected to drive this growth.
Moreover, $11 billion in space technology exports are expected by 2033, while $22 billion in investment will be required over the next decade to meet industry goals.
Communication services are projected to grow to $14.8 billion by 2033 from $4.19 billion in 2022, while Earth observation is expected to jump from $520 million to $8 billion in the same period.
Space private sector, startups get a boost
The private sector is also being brought into the fold in a big way. With over 300 space-tech startups now part of the ecosystem, the government has committed Rs. 3,500-Rs. 4,000 crore to boost satellite development, alongside a Rs. 1,000 crore VC corpus to catalyse private investment.
A total of 52 satellites are planned to be put into orbit over the next few years, as India eyes an 8 per cent share of the global space economy.
In all, Rs. 25,000 crore is expected to flow to the private sector for satellite manufacturing.
