New Delhi | August 24, 2026 | INFRAINTEL Bureau
(India Today)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for India to build a global reputation as a preferred destination for careers, entrepreneurship and investment in the private space sector.
During an interaction with chief executives and founders of 20 space start-ups, Modi highlighted India’s cost competitiveness, technical talent and capacity for risk-taking as factors that could help the country establish a stronger international position.
He said a credible and consistent policy environment was necessary to give entrepreneurs and investors confidence that the government would continue supporting reforms in a high-risk industry.
Start-up representatives said the opening of the space sector to private participation had encouraged Indian professionals based in the United States and Europe to consider returning to India.
Industry participants reported growing launch capacity and investor confidence following private-sector achievements. They said factories had been developed with the capacity to produce one rocket a month, with ambitions to move towards more frequent launches.
The start-ups said their near-term plans included establishing a global ground-station network. One company reported receiving eight launch contracts, mostly from international customers, within a month of a launch.
Modi urged space companies to expand applications in agriculture, livestock management, dairy, environmental monitoring and other areas affecting everyday life, while assuring continued government support.
The interaction included representatives of Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, Pixxel, Dhruva Space, GalaxEye, PierSight, Bellatrix Aerospace, Digantara, SatSure and other Indian space-technology companies.
The discussion coincided with National Space Day, observed on August 23 to commemorate Chandrayaan-3’s successful soft landing in 2023.
India’s cost and talent advantages provide a foundation for growth, but global competitiveness will also require predictable regulation, access to testing infrastructure, launch cadence, insurance, patient capital, export controls and demonstrable mission reliability. Retaining returning talent will depend on sustained commercial demand rather than policy signalling alone.