NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded space startups in the country, saying they had shown courage in a new sector and called for creating an atmosphere that attracts global talent in the sector to the country.
PM Modi, who interacted with CEOs and Founders of Space Startups, laid thrust on constituency in policies noting that it gives assurance to risk-takers.
“Met India’s brightest space StartUps. As always, came away impressed by their energy and ambition. You would love their insights and optimism. Do tell me…what excites you most about India’s space journey?” he said in a post on X.
The post had a video of PM Modi’s interaction with the CEOs and founders of Space Startups.
“You have shown courage in a new sector. The most important thing is that you placed your trust in the government. My view has always been that whatever decisions we make, we must remain consistent. We shouldn’t keep changing them constantly; that way, anyone willing to take a risk can feel assured–knowing that if something goes wrong due to their own error, that’s one thing, but no one will abandon them. That is the trust we are striving to build,” he said.
PM Modi expressed confidence that India can attract global talent pool in the space sector.
“I believe we should create an aura where people from all over the world feel that if they want to build a life in this field, they should come to India–join an Indian startup or the Indian space agency. I am convinced that we can attract this entire talent pool like a magnet, and it can become a tremendous strength for us…We are highly cost-competitive. There is no question regarding the quality of talent, and since the people of our country naturally possess a high capacity for risk-taking, we can rapidly carve out a niche for ourselves,” he added.
The Prime Minister encouraged space companies to explore new applications of their technologies and focus on how these can make people’s lives easier.
He suggested greater collaboration between space sector companies and companies working in other sectors. Giving examples, he said companies working on space debris could work with environmental organisations to scale up their technologies, and space technology companies working with the agriculture sector could collaborate with agricultural universities and departments to help farmers make better-informed decisions and maximise their output.
The Prime Minister called for creating an ecosystem and an environment where when the world thinks of space sector, it looks towards India.
He also called for closer collaboration with Atal Tinkering Labs. He said this can create curiosity and interest in the space sector among young children from an early age.
The interaction saw participation from CEOs and Founders of 20 startups working in the space sector, 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.
The Indian Space Policy 2023 has opened the entire space value chain to private participation, fostering innovation, investment and enterprise across the space ecosystem. Indian industry is now participating in satellite manufacturing, launch services, space applications and downstream services.
