New Delhi, September 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday invited France and other countries to partner with India in the next phase of its space exploration programme, highlighting the country’s growing space capabilities and rapidly expanding private space sector.
Addressing the first International Space Summit in Paris through video conferencing, Modi said India’s space programme has been guided by the philosophy of global cooperation and the belief that the benefits of space technology should reach all of humanity.
He called for a safe, secure, peaceful and sustainable space domain founded on international law, dialogue and multilateral cooperation. The Prime Minister said the future of the global space sector should be guided by “cooperation over confrontation, sustainability over short-term gain, and inclusion over exclusion”.
Highlighting India’s achievements, Modi said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has earned global recognition for cost-effective missions and technologies that benefit farmers, fishermen and citizens through applications in weather forecasting, disaster management and navigation.
He noted that more than 430 satellites from 34 countries have been launched on Indian rockets, reflecting growing international confidence in the country’s space capabilities.
Modi credited generations of Indian scientists, engineers and technicians for establishing ISRO’s global reputation through decades of successful missions. He also highlighted recent milestones, including Chandrayaan-3’s historic soft landing near the lunar south pole and the Aditya-L1 mission’s efforts to study the Sun.
Looking ahead, the Prime Minister reiterated India’s long-term ambitions of establishing an Indian space station by 2035 and sending an Indian to the Moon by 2040.
He also underlined the rapid growth of India’s private space ecosystem, saying private enterprises are complementing ISRO’s achievements and strengthening the country’s position in the global space economy.
“Alongside ISRO, India’s private space sector is also surging in a big way. The energy of enterprise is joining the excellence of ISRO,” Modi said.
Highlighting the longstanding India-France space partnership, Modi said cooperation between the two countries dates back to the early years of India’s space programme in the 1960s.
The partnership has since expanded to areas including Earth observation and advanced space technologies. Modi said India welcomes France and other countries as partners in its future space endeavours.
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