By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, NOV 23, 2023: INDIA'S Space economy is on the rise, particularly in the last nearly ten years and more so in the last five years under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said yesterday.

Due to opening up of the Space sector, emergence of Space Startups and Industry linkages, India's Space economy could skyrocket to 0 Billion in the years to come, as projected by foreign trade experts who are amazed by India's quantum leap, he said.

"Last ten years have been a watershed period in the scientific transformation in India's journey since Independence. And as far as the Space & Geospace and the entire ecosystem is concerned, it is even more visible, more so in the last five years," he said.

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said this while launching the Capacity Building Programme on Geospatial Technology & Applications, organized jointly by ISRO and Capacity Building Commission (CBC), through video conferencing.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, Geospatial technology is being widely used in PM Gati Shakti infrastructure development programmes and SVAMTVA land mapping.

"Space technology is gradually becoming more and more component of India's overall economy. And I am sure this role of it, in the overall value addition to India's growth economy is growing to increase," he said.

Calling for more synergy between Research, Academia, Startup & Industry, Dr Jitendra Singh said the ISRO, being a pivotal agency, has appropriately come forward to take this initiative. This will also prove to be major effort to achieve the 'Whole of Science, Whole of Nation' approach. The Capacity Building programme on Geospatial technology & its Applications will raise awareness and help motivate the youth to make wider use of it, he said.

"We might require such capacity building programmes more frequently, more extensively. But at least beginning from today we have realized the importance of this, we have tried to institutionalize it," he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said the Anusandhan National Research Foundation will be an important supplement to this entire ecosystem.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the youth of today will see Bharat through the Amritkaal as envisioned by PM Modi for India@2047, and celebrate the nation's grand entry into Swarnimkaal.

The event was attended by Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, ISRO, S. Somanath, CBC Chairman Adil Zainulbhai and senior officials.