Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Skyroot’s Infinity Campus in Hyderabad, Telangana via video conferencing. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the Prime Minister remarked that today the nation is witnessing an unprecedented opportunity in the space sector and highlighted that India’s space ecosystem is experiencing a major leap with the private sector taking flight. He emphasized that Skyroot’s Infinity Campus reflects India’s new thinking, innovation, and youth power, and underlined that the innovation, risk-taking ability, and entrepreneurship of the country’s youth are reaching new heights. Shri Modi stated that today’s program is a reflection of how India will emerge as a leader in the global satellite launch ecosystem in the coming times.
Pointing out that India’s space journey began with limited resources but emphasized that the nation’s ambitions were never limited, Shri Modi remarked that from carrying rocket parts on a bicycle to developing the world’s most reliable launch vehicles, India has proven that the height of dreams is determined not by resources but by resolve. “ISRO has for decades given new wings to India’s space journey and stressed that credibility, capacity, and value have established India’s distinct identity in the sector”, exclaimed the Prime Minister.
Noting that in the changing times, Shri Modi remarked that the expansion of the space sector is evident, as it has become the foundation for communication, agriculture, marine monitoring, urban planning, weather prediction and national security. He stated that this is why historic reforms were undertaken in India’s space sector, with the government opening it to private innovation and preparing a new Space Policy. Shri Modi further remarked that efforts were made to connect startups and industry with innovation, and IN-SPACe was established to provide ISRO’s facilities and technology to startups. “In just the past six to seven years, India has transformed its space sector into an open, cooperative, and innovation-driven ecosystem”, emphasised the Prime Minister, stating that today’s program is a reflection of this transformation.
Underscoring that the demand for small satellites is continuously increasing across the world and noted that launch frequencies are also rising, Shri Modi remarked that new companies are entering the field to provide satellite services and emphasized that space has now established itself as a strategic asset. He underlined that in the coming years the global space economy is set to grow manifold, and stressed that this represents a very significant opportunity for India’s youth.
“India possesses space sector capabilities that only a few countries in the world have, noting the presence of expert engineers, a high-quality manufacturing ecosystem, world-class launch sites, and a mindset that encourages innovation”, exclaimed the Prime Minister emphasizing that India’s space capability is both cost-effective and reliable, which is why the world has high expectations from the country. He remarked that global companies want to manufacture satellites in India, avail launch services from India, and seek technology partnerships with India, and therefore stressed that the nation must make the most of this opportunity.
The Prime Minister remarked that the changes being witnessed in the space sector are part of the broader startup revolution taking place in India. He highlighted that over the past decade, a new wave of startups has emerged across diverse sectors such as FinTech, AgriTech, HealthTech, ClimateTech, EduTech and DefenseTech, with India’s youth, particularly the Gen-Z generation, providing innovative solutions in every field. Lauding the Gen-Z generation of India, the PM said that their creativity, positive mindset and capacity building abilities can be a source of inspiration for the Gen-Z generation of the world. Shri Modi emphasized that India has now become the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem and noted that there was a time when startups were confined to a few big cities, but today they are emerging from small towns and villages as well. He underlined that the country now has more than 1.5 lakh registered startups, with many of them having achieved unicorn status.
The Prime Minister remarked that the scope of reforms is continuously expanding and highlighted that just as space innovation was opened to the private sector, India is now moving towards opening the nuclear sector as well. He emphasized that a strong role for the private sector is being laid in this field, which will create opportunities in small modular reactors, advanced reactors, and nuclear innovation. He underlined that this reform will give new strength to India’s energy security and technological leadership.
Background
Indian space startup Skyroot’s Infinity Campus, is a state-of-the-art facility with around 200,000 square feet workspace for designing, developing, integrating and testing multiple launch vehicles, with a capacity to build one orbital rocket every month.
Skyroot is India’s leading private space company, founded by Pawan Chandana and Bharath Dhaka, both alumni of Indian Institutes of Technology and former scientists of ISRO turned entrepreneurs. In November 2022, Skyroot launched its sub-orbital rocket, Vikram-S, becoming the first Indian private company to launch a rocket to space.
The rapid rise of private space enterprises is a testament to the success of the transformative reforms carried out by the Government in the last few years, reinforcing India’s leadership as a confident and capable global space power.
