PM Modi urges stable policies, global vision for India's growing space startup ecosystem

24/08/2026

NEW DELHI, Aug 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for policy consistency and a globally competitive ecosystem as he interacted with chief executives of Indian space startups, saying India should aspire to become a destination where talent from across the world comes to build its future.
The Prime Minister lauded the entrepreneurs for taking risks in a relatively new sector and for placing their faith in the government following the opening up of India's space industry to private participation. He said predictable and stable policymaking was crucial to encouraging innovation and giving entrepreneurs the confidence to pursue ambitious ventures.
"Whatever decisions we take, we should remain consistent with them and should not keep changing them repeatedly," Modi said, stressing that those taking risks should feel assured of a supportive policy environment even when they encounter setbacks.
The interaction covered a wide range of technologies and ambitions, including launch vehicles, satellite propulsion, orbital services, space debris removal, in-orbit refuelling, ground station networks and pharmaceutical manufacturing in space.
A Skyroot representative described the company as India's first space-tech unicorn and spoke about the July 18 launch of India's first private rocket, which deployed satellites. Calling the achievement only a "warm-up", the CEO said it marked the beginning of the company's larger journey.
The company plans to undertake one launch every month by the middle of next year and has already set up three factories with the capacity to manufacture one rocket a month, the CEO said. Its longer-term ambition is to scale up to one launch a week and eventually several launches a day.
Modi also sought to know whether the successful launch had improved investor confidence and opened up new opportunities for the country's emerging private space sector. Startup leaders said investor confidence had increased, while another CEO said the company had secured eight launch contracts in the past month, most of them from international customers.
"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," Modi observed.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the opportunity to make India a major global hub for space talent. He noted that Indian professionals based in the US and Europe were increasingly seeking to return home and join Indian companies after the sector was opened to greater private participation.
"We should create an aura that makes people across the world look to India to build their future," Modi said, adding that people should see India as a destination for building careers in the space sector.
"I firmly believe that, because of you, we can attract the entire talent pool like a magnet, and that can become a very great strength for us," he said.
Startup founders outlined projects ranging from a global ground station network to robotic spacecraft capable of capturing dead satellites and removing them from orbit. Other ventures are working on docking and refuelling technologies that could eventually enable the creation of a fuel station in space, while companies are also exploring the possibility of manufacturing pharmaceutical products in orbit and bringing them back to Earth.
Entrepreneur Antariksh, whose co-founder Monika was also present during the interaction, described their venture as India's first space-pharma startup. The discussions also covered satellite propulsion systems designed to move satellites and help them operate for periods ranging from five to 15 years, as well as a startup's plans to take its innovation to 10 lakh farmers.
Towards the end of the interaction, a startup CEO presented the Prime Minister with a memento depicting the beauty of India as seen through a private satellite, reflecting the expanding presence of private companies in the country's space sector.
Highlighting India's potential in the global space economy, Modi said the country enjoyed major advantages in terms of cost competitiveness, skilled talent and the willingness of its people to take risks.
"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," the Prime Minister said.
India has increasingly opened its space sector to private players in recent years, enabling startups to enter areas that were once largely dominated by government agencies, including satellite launches, propulsion, space applications and advanced orbital technologies. Modi's interaction with the startup leaders reflected the government's broader push to position India as a major global centre for space innovation, investment and talent.

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