India's drone, space-tech boom to add over 200,000 jobs by 2033: Report

India's aerospace, drones and space tech industry is likely to expand more than five-fold to $44 billion by 2033, and is expected to create over 2 lakh new jobs for engineers, researchers, data scientists, among others, a report said on Friday.

According to a report by workforce solutions provider Adecco India, the aerospace, drones, and space tech industry is rapidly evolving from a research-driven domain into a full-fledged industry, driven by government reforms, private-sector participation, and international collaborations.

The country's drone and space-tech industry is expected to create over 2 lakh new jobs for engineers, researchers, data scientists, and business professionals, among others, the report added.

Additionally, new-age roles such as Space Policy Analysts, Robotics Engineers, Avionics Specialists, and GNC (Guidance, Navigation and Control) experts are emerging as critical to India's space ambitions, it stated.

The insights and numbers presented in the report are derived from data collected across more than 100 Adecco clients, supplemented with market research sources.

"With strong government vision and a vibrant startup ecosystem, India is poised to become a global space hub, and this will create a wave of opportunities for talent across engineering, research, data, and business domains," Adecco India Director and Head of General Staffing Deepesh Gupta said.

Regions such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune are expected to drive maximum opportunities, with wages for niche roles in avionics, cryogenics, ATDC (Attitude Determination and Control Systems), Remote Sensing Specialists, Space Habitat Engineer commanding a 20-30 per cent premium compared to technical fields, Gupta added.

Central to this growth are reforms such as the Indian Space Policy 2023, a thriving base of 250+ space startups, and a landmark Rs 1,000 crore VC fund under IN-SPACe to fuel innovation and private-sector participation.

"Diversity will be a cornerstone of India's space workforce. Initiatives such as the WISE Fellowship, Vigyan Jyoti Programme, ISRO Young Scientist Programme (YUVIKA), and the SAMRIDH Scheme are already enabling more women to enter technical fields, research, and entrepreneurship.

Upcoming milestones that are likely to accelerate talent demand across the ecosystem include the Gaganyaan mission, India's participation in the Axiom-4 ISS program, and the development of the country's own space station.

Currently, the Indian space economy is contributing about 2 per cent to the global market. The government has set an ambitious target of scaling this to USD 44 billion by 2033, including USD 11 billion in exports, positioning India to command 7-8 per cent of the global space economy, as per the report.