Modi urges Indian space startups to broaden tech use for everyday sectors
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the CEOs of 20 Indian space startups in New Delhi, urging them to extend space technology into fields such as agriculture, livestock and the environment.
In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened with CEOs and founders of 20 space-technology startups, among them Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, Pixxel, Dhruva Space, GalaxEye, PierSight, Bellatrix Aerospace and Digantara. He lauded their courage and urged them to channel space capabilities into agriculture, livestock, dairy, environmental monitoring and other daily-life sectors, while promoting collaboration with Atal Tinkering Labs to inspire young innovators.
Speaking at a business conclave, INSPACe chairman Vivek Goenka projected the sector’s revenue could climb from $8 billion to $44 billion by 2033, with $11 billion expected from overseas clients. He noted that only about 20 of the roughly 450 Indian space startups have reached a commercial scale, citing Skyroot’s multi-year order book, Agnikul’s reusable rocket work, Pixxel’s earth-observation constellation, and Digantara’s end-to-end space-situational-awareness platform.
Goenka identified three growth drivers: government procurement as an anchor, broader adoption of space tech across agriculture, defence, mining, fisheries, weather forecasting and automotive, and expanded access to international markets. He also mentioned that the defence sector has become the largest customer, ordering 31 military surveillance satellites from private firms, with ISRO slated to build an additional 21 satellites.
Why it matters
The meeting signals a push to turn India's growing private space sector into a tool for improving agriculture, health and defence, impacting the economy and daily life.
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