“India’s growing space ecosystem to drive global collaboration”, says ISRO Chairman V Narayanan after BRICS Space Agencies Meeting

By R Anil Kumar

Bengaluru, June 26, 2026. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said India’s growing space ecosystem is helping drive global collaboration in space technology and sustainable space operations, as Bengaluru hosted the BRICS Heads of Space Agencies Meeting 2026 under India’s chairmanship.

Speaking to R Anil Kumar (Doordarshan), on the sidelines of BRICS Heads of Space Agencies Meeting Narayanan highlighted India’s emergence as a major space power, stating, “Under the visionary leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, the entire space ecosystem in our country is growing, and this discussion will take us forward globally.”

He added, “Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi ji, India today has a leading position in space activities. It is encouraging that all Heads of Space Agencies of BRICS countries shared a common agenda — global growth and utilisation of space technology for the benefit of BRICS nations.”

Narayanan further said the discussions focused on enhancing cooperation among BRICS nations and partner countries in the use of space technology for socio-economic development and long-term sustainability of space activities.

“The BRICS Heads of Space Agencies Meeting 2026 was held in Bengaluru under India’s chairmanship. A total of 26 delegates from 10 countries participated in the programme, along with officials from ISRO, IN-SPACe and the Department of Space,” Narayanan said.

He noted that one of the key areas of discussion was the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation and its applications for member countries.

“There were extensive discussions on the utilisation of the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation for the socio-economic benefit of member countries, including applications in disaster management, climate change monitoring and other areas,” he said.

Narayanan said the participating countries also deliberated on measures to ensure the sustainability of future space missions.

“We also discussed debris-free mission management systems to ensure the long-term sustainability of space activities. It was a very productive meeting,” he added.

According to the ISRO Chairman, the initiative is set to expand beyond the five founding BRICS members.

“Along with the five BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — five more countries will also be part of this initiative,” he said.

Clarifying the scope of the discussions, Narayanan said the meeting was focused on the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation and debris-free mission management systems.

“Space is not just for the present generation; we must ensure it remains safe and usable for future generations. These were the key areas of discussion,” he said.

India needs 200-plus satellites in three years, says ISRO chairman V Narayanan

ISRO is increasingly positioning itself as an enabler for the broader ecosystem rather than working in isolation.

India will need to launch over 200 satellites in the next three years to meet growing national and commercial requirements, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V Narayanan said, calling for deeper participation from private industry, start-ups and academia in the space sector.

“Currently, we have 56 satellites in orbit. But we require 200-plus satellites in another three years for the country. ISRO alone cannot do this. The entire space ecosystem has to work towards that. Lot of opportunities are there,” Narayanan said.

He said ISRO is increasingly positioning itself as an enabler for the broader ecosystem rather than working in isolation.

“We are here to handhold and support the entire start-up ecosystem to contribute to the space sector of our country,” he said.

Sectoral reforms

Narayanan noted that India’s space start-up ecosystem has expanded significantly following sectoral reforms, with more than 400 start-ups now operating in the domain. He stressed that future growth will depend on coordinated efforts across ISRO, industry and research institutions.

Highlighting long-term ambitions, the ISRO chief said India is also moving ahead with plans for an indigenous space station.

“We are also building our own space station. It is a 52-tonne space station. India will have its own space station by 2035,” he said.

Narayanan also outlined the evolution of India’s space programme — from early sounding rocket experiments to complex deep-space and commercial missions. He said satellites have become critical to communication, navigation, disaster management and strategic applications.

Major milestones

He highlighted major milestones including the Mars Orbiter Mission, Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3, noting that India became the first country to successfully land near the lunar south pole with Chandrayaan-3. He also referred to the Aditya-L1 solar mission, which placed India among a select group of nations with dedicated solar observation capability.

On commercial capabilities, he said India has transitioned into a global launch hub, including missions carrying large foreign payloads.

“From that humble beginning, India progressed to a purely commercial launch of a 6,000 kg satellite for an American company using an Indian rocket,” he said.

He added that India has conducted over 4,000 sounding rocket launches, while its satellite fleet has expanded from early experimental systems to advanced platforms used across communication, Earth observation and navigation.

Narayanan said satellites now form the backbone of modern infrastructure, supporting services such as banking, telecom, disaster warning, education and healthcare delivery.

BRICS Expands Satellite Constellation

Club of Nations moves towards Space Council at Bengaluru summit

In a boost to multilateral space cooperation, BRICS nations have agreed to expand the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation to include new member countries and took forward their discussions on establishing a BRICS Space Council.

These decisions were made during the Heads of Space Agencies 2026 event that concluded in Bengaluru.

Hosted by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Space with support from the External Affairs Ministry, the two-day summit brought together space agency chiefs and senior officials from Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the UAE.

The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation in the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space, with emphasis on leveraging space technology for remote sensing, disaster management and climate change mitigation.

Union minister of state for space Jitendra Singh, ISRO chairman V. Narayanan and IN-SPACe chairman Pawan Goenka attended the event.

The summit made significant progress on the structural and operational framework for BRICS space cooperation, including amendments to the remote sensing satellite constellation agreement to accommodate new members.

Delegates also deliberated on the terms of reference for the proposed BRICS Space Council, aimed at enhancing institutional collaboration among member nations.

Highlighting India’s growing role in the global space economy, IN-SPACe unveiled an Indian space industry brochure and showcased the country’s thriving private space ecosystem through presentations by start-ups and industry leaders. Delegates visited some private space facilities, gaining first-hand insight into India’s advanced space capabilities.

The meeting was attended by delegates from 10 countries, officials from ISRO, IN-SPACe and the Department of Space, while Union Minister of State (MoS) Jitendra Singh participated in the valedictory session and interacted with delegates.