Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised the growth of startups in India’s space sector and the active participation of youth in it during his Mann Ki Baat address.

“Who would have thought a few years ago that the number of startups and private sector space companies in this field would be in hundreds? For our youth who want to do something thrilling and exciting in life, the space sector is turning out to be an excellent option,” PM Modi said.

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“I am also very happy to see that the space sector today has become a favourite for our youth.”

Over the last 10 years alone, around 460 satellites have been launched, including many from other countries,” he highlighted.

PM Modi also highlighted the active participation of women in this sector, noting that women’s representation among our team of space scientists has been constantly rising in recent years.

Praising the launch of ISRO’s 100th rocket, he said this is not just a number but a reflection of our resolve to reach new heights in space science every day.

On January 29, ISRO recorded its historic 100th launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The GSLV-F15 with the NVS-02 satellite lifted off from the spaceport’s second launch pad.

“Be it the manufacture of launch vehicles, the successes of Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, Aditya-L1, or the unprecedented feat of launching 104 satellites in one go with a single rocket, ISRO’s achievements have been quite expansive,” the PM said.

Notably, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) recently announced a ₹500-crore Technology Adoption Fund (TAF) to support space technology firms, especially startups and MSMEs, in developing commercially viable products.

By providing partial funding to non-government entities (NGEs), the TAF will support the transition of innovative ideas from the drawing board to a market-ready stage.

Former ISRO Chairman S Somanath also recently supported the idea of establishing ‘Space Parks’ in the country to promote startups in this sector.

“The quality of technology in space-sector startups must reach greater heights, and establishing Space Parks in all states is essential,” he said.

The Prime Minister also praised the flourishing startups in the wildlife sector and urged citizens to encourage people associated with wildlife protection.

“It gives me great satisfaction that many startups have emerged in this field,” the PM said.