Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday praised Indian Air Force officer Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the Axiom-4 mission team for unfurling the Tricolour aboard the International Space Station, saying the moment when the flag was held aloft was ‘beyond words’.”
He added that the Government of India has removed long-standing restrictions in sectors such as space, enabling greater participation by private players in space technology.
He announced that India’s first PSLV rocket made by the private sector will also be launched soon.
“Today on the occasion of Space Day, I would like to ask the country’s space start-ups whether we can create five unicorns in the space sector in the next 5 years. Now we see five big launches from India every year. I would like the private sector to come forward, and within the next five years, we should reach a stage where we can launch 50 rockets annually. One rocket every week”
#WATCH | Delhi: On the National Space Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “Achieving new milestones one after another in the space sector has become the nature of India and Indian scientists. Just two years ago, India became the first country to create history by reaching the… pic.x.com/FrQCMhzxjX
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2025
Today, space-tech is also becoming a part of governance in India. Whether it is satellite-based assessment in the crop insurance scheme or the information and safety provided to fishermen through satellites…Be it disaster management or the use of geospatial data in the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan… Today, India’s progress in space is making the lives of ordinary citizens easier…”
“There was a time when futuristic sectors like space were bound by many restrictions in the country. We opened these shackles. We gave permission to the private sector in space tech, and today in the country, more than 350 start-ups are growing as the engine of innovation and acceleration in space tech. Their presence is also visible in this work. The first PSLV rocket made by the private sector will also be launched soon. I am happy that India’s first private communication satellite is also being built. Through a public-private partnership, preparations are also underway to launch an Earth observation satellite constellation… I had mentioned many situations from 15 August onwards in which it is very important for India to be self-reliant. I have asked every sector to set its own targets…”
He lauded India for making swift advances in frontier technologies such as semi-cryogenic engines and electric propulsion. He apprised that the country is preparing to launch the Gaganyaan mission and has set its sights on building its own space station in the future.
The government’s vision for the space sector extends beyond galaxies, with an emphasis on ensuring that policies remain dynamic and forward-looking, he added.
He stated, Over the past 11 years, major reforms have been introduced under the framework of “Reform, Perform, and Transform,” driving significant changes in India’s space programme.
“We have also become the fourth country in the world to have the capability of docking and undocking in space. Just 3 days ago, I met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. He filled every Indian with pride by hoisting the tricolour on the International Space Station. The moment, the feeling when he was showing me the tricolour, is beyond words. In my discussion with Group Captain Shubhanshu, I have seen the immense courage and infinite dreams of the youth of the new India. To take these dreams forward, we are also going to prepare India’s astronaut pool. Today on Space Day, I invite my young friends to join this astronaut pool to give wings to India’s dreams. Today India is rapidly progressing in breakthrough technologies like semi-cryogenic engine and electric propulsion.”
Achieving new milestones one after another in the space sector has become the nature of India and Indian scientists, he added. Just two years ago, India became the first country to create history by reaching the South Pole of the Moon, he stated.
He further stated that recently, India has also hosted the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics. About 300 youth from more than 60 countries participated in this competition. Indian youth also won medals.
PM Modi added that this Olympiad is a symbol of India’s emerging leadership in the space sector. I am happy that ISRO has also taken initiatives like Indian Space Hackathon and Robotics Challenge to increase the interest of young friends towards space.
India celebrated its second National Space Day on Saturday, highlighting the nation’s achievements from satellite launches to human spaceflight.
Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh tweeted that the day honours India’s journey “from satellites to human spaceflight.”
The government opened the space sector to private players in 2020 with the creation of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). Since then, over 300 start-ups have registered, officials said.
IN-SPACe has facilitated two sub-orbital test flights by Indian start-ups and supported the launch of 14 satellites by six private entities.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan stated that the first uncrewed mission under the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme is planned for December and will carry Vyommitra, a half-humanoid robot. He also noted that IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla recently completed a mission to the International Space Station, marking the first by an Indian astronaut. Shukla is among the crew shortlisted for Gaganyaan.
Narayanan added that the joint NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, launched earlier this year, is functioning normally.