Ahmedabad, August 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Around 440 startups are now operating in India’s space sector, reflecting a significant expansion of private participation following reforms that opened up greater opportunities for companies and entrepreneurs, ISRO Chairman and Department of Space Secretary Dr V. Narayanan said on Sunday.
Speaking at the third National Space Day celebrations in Ahmedabad, Narayanan said the growth of startups had strengthened India’s emerging private space ecosystem and supported the country’s efforts to expand its role in the global space industry.
“After the reforms in the space sector, there has been a significant increase in the number of startups in the country, and today around 440 startups are operating in the space sector,” Narayanan said.
He noted that India’s space programme, which began in 1962, had evolved significantly and now delivers applications that directly benefit citizens.
Highlighting major milestones, Narayanan referred to Chandrayaan-1’s discovery of water molecules on the Moon, the advanced camera technology deployed on Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3’s successful soft landing near the lunar south pole on August 23, 2023. National Space Day is observed to commemorate the Chandrayaan-3 achievement.
Narayanan said India was simultaneously pursuing ambitious future missions, including the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme and the proposed Bharatiya Antariksha Station. The first module of the space station has been approved, with the target of establishing the station by 2035, he said.
The event was organised by ISRO’s Space Applications Centre under the theme ‘Towards Viksit Bharat: Innovating, Collaborating and Aspiring to Global Space Leadership’.
Discussions focused on preparing young people for careers in space science and technology, strengthening the emerging space ecosystem and expanding international collaboration. Representatives from academic and research institutions, private space companies, startups and industry participated.
Awards were also presented to winning teams of the ISRO Robotics Challenge, Indian Space Hackathon and Dr Vikram Sarabhai Space Quiz.
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