India made significant progress in space sector: Jitendra Singh

New Delhi, April 18 (Mayank?Nigam) Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday said India has made significant progress in the space sector. ”Over these last few years space technology has penetrated into all walks of life, as a result of this there is a huge demand for space based services which have huge commercial potential,” Singh, who virtually addressed the precursor meeting of the G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting (SELM) which began here in Meghalaya. The focus of the two-day event is to showcase all the capabilities of ISRO and the Department of Space and to collaborate in future science missions. So far as the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) is concerned, the Union Minister said the organisation has been striving hard to meet the demands for space-based services and at the same time it is also realizing the need to concentrate on the research for developing new technologies and new applications.

He said the government headed by Prime Minister Modi took a path-breaking decision to open up the space sector for Indian private industry through the 2020 Space Sector Reforms in order to enhance the participation of the private players in end-to-end space activities. “The increased private industry participation will eventually result in increased contribution of India in the global space economy”, he further added. Union Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhury said that the Indian economy is growing at a faster rate and the major contribution to this growth is from the New Space Segment. Stressing the need to conduct space activities in a responsible manner he said that efforts are being taken to promote New Space for further fuelling the space economy. “As all the G20 members have established space agencies and industries, India should also look forward to possible alliances,” he said. Chaudhury also said that Space-based technologies are recognised as one of the key contributors to growth and prosperity.

“The space technologies like satellite-based earth observation, satellite communications and navigation have positive impacts in agriculture, disaster management, transportation, health and in addressing climate change issues, he added. Hinting at the commitment of the Government for developing and promoting Space technology for the nation, Chaudhury said, ”Indian Space programme was evolved with intention of harnessing the benefits of space technology for solving the problems of common man. The Government of India has recognized Space as a key contributor for developing the Indian economy in the times to come. To enable this the Government has opened up the Indian Space sector for private investments through the 2020 space sector reforms”. Talking about the opportunities in space technologies, he said that the country needs a vital alliance of responsible space actors to enhance the contribution of Space economy to the global economy.