Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured India’s young space entrepreneurs of continued government support and urged them to take space technology beyond rockets and satellites to areas that directly affect everyday life.

During an interaction with the CEOs and founders of 20 space startups at Seva Teerth on Friday, PM Modi highlighted agriculture, livestock management, dairy, environmental protection and climate intelligence as important areas for wider application of space-based solutions.

PM Modi also called for creating an ecosystem in which “the world should thinks of space when it looks towards India.” He said India’s private space sector could become a magnet for global talent, companies and investment, helping the country emerge as a major force in the global space economy.

Government full support for private space industry

The Prime Minister congratulated the startup founders for entering what he described as a new and demanding domain. He said they had shown courage by taking risks, trusting the government’s reform process and remaining consistent in their efforts.

“It was wonderful to meet the ‘Yuva Urja’ of India’s space sector—young entrepreneurs and innovators who have shown remarkable courage by entering a new and demanding domain,” PM Modi said. “They have taken risks, trusted the reform process and remained consistent in their efforts.”

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He said the confidence shown by private companies had strengthened the vision behind opening India’s space sector to private participation. According to the Prime Minister, the reforms have generated significant enthusiasm and created new opportunities for companies to build indigenous technologies and commercial capabilities.

“I assured the space startups that the Government of India will continue to stand with them as they build India’s capabilities for the future. India can offer the world a strong, innovative, and commercially viable model in the space sector,” PM said, as per the PIB release.

The government’s support, he added, would remain focused on building national capabilities and creating conditions in which Indian companies could compete internationally.

Space technology for agriculture and daily life

PM Narendra Modi urged space startups to expand their work into sectors such as agriculture, livestock management, dairy and environmental protection. His message was that space technology should not remain limited to specialised missions or government programmes; it should also help improve productivity, decision-making and public services on the ground.

He suggested that companies developing agricultural space technologies should work closely with agricultural universities and government departments. Such partnerships could help farmers use satellite data, weather information, remote sensing and other tools to make better-informed decisions and maximise output.

“Space technology companies working with the agriculture sector could collaborate with agricultural universities and departments to help farmers make better informed decisions and maximise their output,” the Prime Minister said.

Potential applications could include crop monitoring, weather-based farm planning, soil and water assessment, early detection of crop stress and improved management of livestock and dairy operations. The wider objective is to connect India’s growing space capabilities with sectors that have a direct impact on rural incomes, food security and livelihoods.

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Space debris and environmental protection

Environmental protection was another area highlighted during the discussion. PM Modi said companies working on space debris removal could collaborate with environmental organisations to expand and scale up their technologies.

Space debris has become an increasing concern as the number of satellites, launch vehicles and other objects in orbit grows. Technologies developed to track, monitor and remove debris could also encourage cooperation between space companies, environmental institutions, research organisations and public agencies.

“Companies working on space debris could work with environmental organisations to scale up their technologies,” Modi said.

The suggestion reflects the government’s broader effort to promote practical partnerships between the space industry and other sectors. Instead of operating in isolation, startups could develop solutions jointly with universities, departments, companies and civil society organisations that understand specific problems on the ground.

Building India into a global space destination

The Prime Minister said India has a major opportunity to strengthen its global position because several countries either cannot invest substantially in the space sector or do not wish to make such investments. This creates room for India to offer launch services, satellite applications, space hardware, data solutions and other commercially viable technologies.

He urged industry leaders to rapidly strengthen India’s position in the international space market and help create an ecosystem capable of attracting global talent, companies and capital.

India’s private space sector, he said, should become a major force not only for the country but also for the world. The ambition is to make India a destination where international companies come to develop, test, manufacture and use space technologies.

The startup founders told the Prime Minister that companies around the world were showing growing interest in adopting and using technologies developed by India’s emerging private space industry. They also highlighted the significant time and effort invested in building capabilities and developing required technologies indigenously.

Startups working across the space value chain

The interaction represented the breadth of India’s private space ecosystem. The participating startups are working across launch systems, satellites, propulsion, Earth observation, space safety, defence intelligence and weather technology.

The companies included:

  • Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos, which are working on rockets and launch vehicles, including reusable and semi-cryogenic systems.
  • Pixxel, Dhruva Space, GalaxEye and PierSight, which are developing satellite and Earth-observation capabilities.
  • Bellatrix Aerospace, which is focused on advanced propulsion systems.
  • Digantara and Manastu Space, which are working on space situational awareness and space-debris-related technologies.
  • SatSure and Suhora Technologies, which are developing data and intelligence solutions for applications including agriculture and climate-related decision-making.
  • Astrobase, TakeMe2Space, VyomIC, Cosmoserve Space, OrbitAID Aerospace, SkyServe (Hyspace), Serendipity Space, Vassar Labs and mistEO, which represent emerging work in space services, satellite systems, analytics, logistics, monitoring and related technologies.

The CEOs and founders shared their vision for the future of India’s private space industry and described the rapid progress made since private participation was encouraged. They said strong government support and collaboration within the industry had helped their teams remain motivated and pursue ambitious goals.

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Encouraging the next generation

PM Modi also called for closer cooperation between space startups and Atal Tinkering Labs. He said such partnerships could create curiosity about space among schoolchildren and inspire young people to participate in the sector from an early age.

The Prime Minister’s suggestion places education and innovation at the centre of India’s space ambitions. Startups could engage with students through demonstrations, workshops, mentorship programmes and practical projects, helping children understand how space technology connects with agriculture, communications, weather forecasting, navigation and environmental monitoring.

Atal Tinkering Labs can provide an early platform for students to experiment with science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Greater involvement by space companies could help develop a future talent pool for India’s launch, satellite, robotics, propulsion and space-data industries.

New phase for India’s space economy

The interaction between PM Modi and the founders highlighted the transition of India’s space sector from a predominantly public-sector-led activity to a wider ecosystem involving startups, investors, researchers and private manufacturers. The participating founders credited the opening of the sector with creating new opportunities and giving companies greater confidence to develop technologies in India.

The Prime Minister said the industry’s confidence had validated the government’s decision to encourage private participation. He also emphasised that India’s future strength would depend not only on successful launches and advanced spacecraft but on the ability to translate space technology into useful, affordable and scalable solutions.