PM Modi Meets CEOs of 20 Indian Space Startups, Urges Wider Use of Space Technology
PM Modi urged startups to look beyond conventional space applications and examine how their technologies could be used to address problems affecting people's daily lives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday interacted with the founders and CEOs of 20 Indian space startups at Seva Teerth in New Delhi, urging them to expand the use of space technology beyond traditional applications and develop solutions that can address challenges in areas such as agriculture, livestock, dairy and environmental protection.
The interaction was held on August 21, two days before National Space Day, which is observed on August 23 to mark the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander on the Moon in 2023. The startups participating in the meeting are working across areas including launch vehicles, satellites, avionics, advanced propulsion, space and defence intelligence, space-debris removal, orbital servicing and AI-powered weather and climate intelligence.
The participating companies were 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.
Modi congratulated the entrepreneurs for entering what he described as a demanding and emerging sector and said the confidence shown by private companies had strengthened the government’s decision to open the space sector to private participation. The sector was opened to private players through reforms announced in 2020, with IN-SPACe subsequently established as the regulatory and promotional framework for non-governmental space entities.
The Prime Minister also emphasised the importance of policy consistency for investors and entrepreneurs taking risks in the sector. He said India should build an ecosystem that attracts global talent, companies and investment, citing the country’s cost competitiveness, technical talent and risk-taking capacity as advantages.
Modi urged startups to look beyond conventional space applications and examine how their technologies could be used to address problems affecting people’s daily lives. He suggested that companies working on agricultural applications collaborate with agricultural universities and government departments so that farmers can use satellite-based information to make better decisions and improve productivity.
He also suggested that startups developing space-debris removal technologies work with environmental organisations to explore applications beyond the space sector. The Prime Minister called for closer links between space startups and Atal Tinkering Labs to encourage interest in space and technology among schoolchildren.
During the interaction, startup founders discussed the progress of India’s private space industry and the growing interest from international customers. One founder said the company had secured eight launch contracts in the month following a recent launch, with most of the contracts coming from overseas customers. The founders also spoke about plans to build a global ground-station network and develop technologies for satellite servicing and space logistics.
Skyroot Aerospace co-founder Pawan Kumar Chandana told Modi about the company’s July 18 launch of its private rocket, which deployed satellites. Chandana described the mission as a beginning for the company and said Skyroot aims to conduct one launch per month by the middle of 2027. He said the company has already established three factories with the capacity to manufacture one rocket a month, while its longer-term ambition is to scale to one launch a week and eventually multiple launches a day.
Dhruva Space CEO and co-founder Sanjay Nekkanti also discussed the company’s plans to build an indigenous space-infrastructure backbone from India for a globally connected space economy. The company showcased its satellite platforms and ground-station technologies during the interaction.
Suhora Technologies co-founder and CEO Krishanu Acharya highlighted the role of private companies in India’s expanding space ecosystem. Suhora works with satellite data and geospatial intelligence for applications including agriculture, infrastructure and disaster management.
Other startups at the meeting presented technologies covering a broad range of emerging space applications. These included robotic systems designed to capture and remove defunct satellites, orbital docking and refuelling technologies, satellite-based intelligence platforms and systems exploring pharmaceutical manufacturing in microgravity.
The meeting also highlighted the increasing focus on downstream applications of space technology. Rather than limiting commercial opportunities to launch vehicles and satellite manufacturing, the government is encouraging startups to use satellite data, space-based infrastructure and related technologies in sectors such as agriculture, climate monitoring, disaster management and environmental protection.
India’s private space industry has expanded since the 2020 reforms that allowed greater participation by non-government entities. The government has also set a long-term target of increasing India’s share of the global space economy, with the country’s space economy projected to reach around $44 billion by 2033 under the national decadal vision.