PM Narendra Modi meets founders, CEOs of 20 homegrown space-tech startups

The Prime Minister said private participation had strengthened India's space ambitions and urged startups to explore applications in agriculture, environment and education

Founders and chief executive officers (CEOs) of 20 homegrown space startups met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday.  

The startups are Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, Pixxel, Dhruva Space, GalaxEye, PierSight, Bellatrix Aerospace, Digantara, SatSure, Suhora Technologies, Manastu Space, Astrobase, TakeMe2Space, VyomIC, Cosmoserve Space, OrbitAID Aerospace, SkyServe (Hyspace), Serendipity Space, Vassar Labs and mistEO. 

 

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and IN-SPACe Chairperson Pawan Goenka were present at the meeting. 

 

The companies, which are working across areas such as rockets, reusable launch vehicles, satellites, avionics, advanced propulsion, space intelligence, space debris removal and artificial intelligence-powered weather and climate intelligence, shared their progress and vision for the sector. 

Modi congratulated the entrepreneurs on taking the lead and said the confidence shown by the private sector had strengthened the vision behind opening up the space sector to private participation.

 

He added that the country’s space sector could attract global talent, companies and investment. The founders acknowledged the government support and greater collaboration within the industry. They also noted a growing interest on the part of companies in adopting technologies developed by India’s private space industry. 

The Prime Minister also urged space companies to explore new applications of their technologies and called for greater collaboration with sectors such as agriculture, and environmental organisations.

 

He also encouraged closer engagement with Atal Tinkering Labs to foster an interest in space among young students. 

 

Commenting on the meeting, Sanjay Nekkanti, CEO and cofounder of Dhruva Space, said, “It was a privilege to share Dhruva Space’s work with the Prime Minister and discuss the direction of India’s growing private space ecosystem. As India’s first private space-technology startup, we have seen the sector evolve significantly. We also discussed our vision to build an indigenous space infrastructure backbone from India for a globally connected space economy.” 

 

Dhruva Space also showcased the constellation-scale platforms it is designing, developing and manufacturing indigenously, including its space-qualified P-30, which is set to launch again soon; its upcoming 500-kg communication satellite platform under Project Garud, which is supported by the Research, Development, and Innovation Fund; and its Ground Station antenna.

 

Krishanu Acharya, cofounder and CEO of Suhora Technologies, said: “The Prime Minister’s continued engagement with India’s space startups is a reminder of how far the private space ecosystem has come and how much further it can go. For us, this is validation of the work we’re doing in satellite data and geospatial intelligence. We will keep pushing on solutions that matter for agriculture, infrastructure, and disaster preparedness from India while building for the global market. We’re grateful for the government’s continued support and excited to keep contributing to India’s journey as a global space technology hub.”