New Delhi: India's space agency, ISRO, has gained the confidence to compete with NASA and Russia's Roscosmos in space expeditions following the successful Chandrayaan-3 landing mission and the launch of India's first Aditya L1 Sun mission. This announcement came from Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who praised the remarkable progress of India's space journey over the last nine years.
Singh stated that India now stands shoulder to shoulder with NASA and Roscosmos, and the two renowned space agencies are even collaborating with ISRO on various space expeditions. He emphasized that India's exceptional human resources and remarkable capabilities, achieved through cost-effective means despite resource constraints, have established India as a leading nation in space exploration and a significant scientific and economic force.
The recent achievements in India's space program have been made possible under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, who has fostered new opportunities for the country's space sector through a public-private partnership model. Singh described Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 as the pioneers of India's "Amrit Kaal" growth journey over the next 25 years, attributing their success to Modi's progressive policy decisions.
During the launch of the 'Mera Maati Mera Desh' campaign in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district, Singh hailed the era as "Modi's Era" and emphasized the global recognition of India's accomplishments in space exploration.
Furthermore, Singh highlighted the profound impact of Chandrayaan-3's successful launch on Indian students, igniting global aspirations. The number of space startups has surged from a mere four to an impressive 150, with many being led by science students, researchers, and entrepreneurs.
Singh also discussed the significant growth in startups across various sectors. Before 2014, there were approximately 350 startups, but following PM Modi's call and the launch of a special startup scheme in 2016, the number has skyrocketed to over 1.25 lakh startups, with more than 110 unicorns. In the biotech sector, there were just 50-odd startups in 2014, but now there are 6,000 biotech startups, illustrating India's remarkable progress in entrepreneurship.
The minister acknowledged that India's scientists, researchers, and scholars have played a pivotal role in the country's ascent to being among the top three nations in terms of publications and ninth in terms of patents. India's Global Innovation Index has also seen significant improvement, rising from the 81st position to the 40th position.