Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with CEOs of Indian space startups and highlighted the importance of predictable policymaking, global opportunities and India’s competitive strengths as the country’s private space sector expands.
During the interaction, PM Modi praised entrepreneurs for taking risks and venturing into the emerging space sector, while emphasising the need for policy consistency to build confidence among investors and startups.
“Whatever decisions we take, we should remain consistent with them and should not keep changing them repeatedly,” the Prime Minister said.
The CEO of Skyroot described the company as India’s first space-tech unicorn and referred to its successful July 18 launch of India’s first private rocket, which deployed satellites. The CEO said the launch was only a “warm-up” and that the company aims to undertake one launch every month by the middle of next year.
The CEO also said Skyroot has established three factories and has the capacity to produce one rocket per month, with plans to eventually scale up to one launch per week and, subsequently, several launches a day.
PM Modi also discussed investor confidence following the launch. One startup CEO said the company had received eight launch contracts in the past month after a single launch, most of them from international customers.
Highlighting the global visibility such breakthroughs can create for Indian startups, PM Modi said the world should increasingly look towards Indian companies once they demonstrate capabilities in the space sector.
“The world must now be looking for Indian startups, asking who is there in this field. Because once there is a breakthrough, people’s attention immediately turns towards it,” he said.
The Prime Minister also stressed the potential for India to emerge as a global hub for space talent and innovation.
During the interaction, a CEO said Indian citizens based in the US and Europe were seeking to return and work with Indian space companies following the opening up of the sector.
PM Modi said India should create an ecosystem that attracts talent from across the world and encourages people to build their careers in the country.
“We should create an aura that makes people across the world look to India to build their future,” he said.
The CEOs also shared their plans and technologies across a range of emerging areas, including a global ground station network, robotic spacecraft designed to capture and remove defunct satellites from orbit, docking and refuelling technologies, and satellites capable of manufacturing pharmaceuticals in space.
An entrepreneur described his company as India’s first space-pharma startup. Another startup representative said the company was planning to take its innovation to 10 lakh farmers.
Highlighting India’s competitive advantages, PM Modi said the country has the talent, cost competitiveness and risk-taking capacity needed to establish itself rapidly in the global space sector.
“We are highly competitive in terms of cost; there is no question whatsoever about our talent, and the risk-taking capacity of the people of our country is also quite high. Because of this, we can establish our position very rapidly,” he said.
The Prime Minister also interacted with an entrepreneur whose company manufactures propulsion systems that enable satellites to manoeuvre in space and remain operational for extended periods. The CEO said the company had received strong traction globally and highlighted government support for enabling Indian companies to export.
The interaction comes as India’s private space ecosystem expands following the opening up of the sector to private participation, with startups increasingly focusing on launch vehicles, satellite technologies, space logistics and other next-generation capabilities.
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