New Delhi, Aug 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended greetings on National Space Day and called upon India’s space startups to dream even bigger, innovate more, and push newer frontiers, as he interacted with CEOs of leading space companies who have successfully launched India’s first private rocket and are now working on cutting-edge technologies including space docking, refueling, and space-based pharmaceutical manufacturing.
“Happy National Space Day! Here’s to dreaming even bigger, innovating more and pushing newer frontiers,” the Prime Minister wrote on X.
In a subsequent interaction with space startup CEOs, Modi emphasised the importance of creating trust and consistency in policy decisions so that those willing to take risks can have confidence in the system.
“My view has always been that whatever decisions we take, we must remain consistent in them, we must not keep changing them again and again, so that anyone who wants to take a risk can have confidence that, fine, if something goes wrong it will be because of my mistake, but no one will abandon me. And this was our effort – to create that trust,” the Prime Minister said.
During the interaction, CEOs of India’s first space tech unicorn informed the Prime Minister that they successfully launched India’s first private rocket on July 18, ejecting satellites into orbit. The company, which has already built three factories and has the capacity for one rocket per month, said this is just the beginning, with plans to achieve one launch per month by mid-next year and eventually one launch per week.
One CEO told the Prime Minister that they have developed one of the most modern engines in the world, with testing currently ongoing. Following the successful launch, investor confidence has increased significantly, and the company has already received eight launch contracts in the last month, mostly from international clients.
Another startup CEO said they are working on a robotic spacecraft that will go to space, physically capture dead satellites and remove them from orbit, while another company is working on docking and refueling technologies with the vision of establishing a fuel station in space.
One of the startups, India’s first space pharma company, is making satellites that can manufacture pharmaceuticals in space and bring them back to Earth. Another company is planning to launch an innovation that will work with 1 million farmers.
The Prime Minister noted that Indian companies now have government support for exporting, making India competitive in cost while talent remains unquestionable. “In cost we are very competitive, in talent there is no question at all, and the risk-taking capacity of our people is anyway greater. And because of that we can very quickly make our place,” he said.
The CEOs also highlighted that after the space industry was opened up, Indian citizens working in the US and Europe are now wanting to return and work with Indian startups. The Prime Minister responded that India must create such an aura that people all over the world feel that if they want to build their life, they should come to India.
“I firmly believe that the entire talent pool, like a magnet, because of you we can attract, and that can become a very great strength for us,” he said.
