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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India is not resting on the success of the Chandrayaan mission and is moving ahead with ambitious space programmes, including the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission and the development of its own space station.
Addressing the Indian diaspora at the "Melbourne Meets Modi" event as part of his three-day official visit to Australia, PM Modi said India's achievements in space exploration reflect the country's belief in continuous progress and the vision driven by the motto of "Grow More, Achieve More". "You have also seen that India successfully landed Chandrayaan on the south pole of the Moon. No other country in the world has achieved this. But India was not satisfied with only this achievement. Because India believes - Grow More, Achieve More. That is why India is now preparing to send its Gaganyaan mission into space. India is also moving towards the goal of building its own space station," PM Modi said. Highlighting India's focus on innovation, science and technology, the Prime Minister said the country is transforming its innovation ecosystem while learning from global advancements, pointing towards the revolutionary innovation developed by Australia, which is "making the world better". "We are not just a trading nation. We value innovation, science and technology. Australia has made many remarkable contributions - cochlear implants, Wi-Fi technology, cervical cancer vaccines, flight black boxes and secret ballot voting are among the many innovations in which Australia has played an important role. These innovations are making the world better. In the same way, India is also transforming its science, technology and innovation ecosystem," the Prime Minister added. PM Modi said India is also nurturing innovation among young students through initiatives such as Atal Tinkering Labs, which encourage scientific thinking and creativity from an early age. "You will be happy to know that today more than 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs are operating in Indian schools. These labs are building a mindset of innovation among students from an early age. In the last 12 years, India has become the world's third-largest startup ecosystem," he said. The Prime Minister highlighted India's growing startup landscape, stating that the country now has more than two lakh registered startups and thousands of new ventures are being registered every month. "Today, India has more than 2 lakh registered startups. More than 4,000 new startups are being registered every month. Hundreds of startups are also working in sectors like defence and space," PM Modi said. He added that several sectors, including defence and space, were earlier closed to private participation but have now opened new opportunities for entrepreneurs. "I mention these examples because many of these sectors were earlier closed to private entrepreneurship. They were opened only a few years ago, and now Indian entrepreneurs are creating new possibilities. One Indian space startup is soon going to launch a satellite using its own rocket for the first time," he said. Last week, Indian private aerospace company Skyroot Aerospace announced the upcoming test flight of its Vikram-1 orbital rocket, named Mission Aagaman, marking a major milestone in India's private space sector as the first private orbital rocket launch. In a post on X, the company said the mission is scheduled to launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, with the launch window set between July 12 and August 4, 2026. The Vikram-1 test flight aims to place a payload into a 450 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with a 60-degree inclination. Skyroot said the vehicle has been fully stacked at India's historic First Launch Pad (FLP), signalling the start of preparations for the mission. The Prime Minister's remarks come as he addresses around 30,000 people at the event, which is perhaps the largest such event to ever happen in Australia by any leader. Ahead of his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a high-level summit with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Melbourne, marking a significant expansion of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). The visit from July 8 to July 10 culminated in 18 major outcomes spanning defence, maritime security, energy, critical technologies, education, mining, research and cultural cooperation, significantly expanding the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. (ANI)
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