Modi calls for self-reliance in space sector

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India is working towards self-reliance in the space sector and preparing for the launch of Gaganyaan, an indigenously developed spacecraft for its human space flight mission.

"India is actively working on the Gaganyaan mission and is also planning its own space station," Modi said in his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort. "We must come together to change the destiny of our country. I appeal to the youth: step forward and contribute to this mission of national transformation."

Gaganyaan will take a crew of three astronauts into a three-day orbit of the earth at an altitude of 400 km in 2027.

Modi also congratulated astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on his mission to the International Space Station. He highlighted the impact of space sector reforms, with about 300 startups working in the space domain.

Industry leaders welcomed the remarks, saying the momentum could help achieve the target of a $44-billion space economy by 2033. Former ISRO chairman S Somanath, who spearheaded the 2023 space reforms through the Indian Space Policy, told ET that Modi's comments underline how the sector is "not just creating jobs and economic value, but also promoting the scientific temper".