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Space & Missiles

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ISRO Encourages Student Space Missions, Launches 11 Satellites

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  • Kushinagar Hosts National Model Rocketry Competition as ISRO’s Student Satellite Programme Gives Real Mission Experience to Young Researchers: Dr Jitendra Singh

New Delhi: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, and MoS in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today informed the Rajya Sabha that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched a series of structured initiatives to actively involve students and young researchers in satellite development, payload experiments, and space missions.

Replying to an Unstarred Question asked by Smt. Sumitra Balmik in the Rajya Sabha, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the Government is committed to democratizing access to space technology and ensuring that students from across the country, including tier-2 and tier-3 institutions, get opportunities to contribute to India’s rapidly expanding space ecosystem.

The Minister said that ISRO has instituted dedicated programmes that allow student researchers to work on real space technology projects, including satellite design, payload development, and mission experiments. Under the Student Satellite Programme led by the U R Rao Satellite Centre, academic institutions and student teams are encouraged to design and develop satellites with technical mentoring from ISRO scientists. These student-built satellites also receive integration support and launch opportunities through ISRO missions.

Dr. Jitendra Singh further noted that internship and project trainee schemes are available for undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students from recognised institutions across the country. These programmes provide hands-on research exposure at ISRO centres, enabling young researchers to work directly with advanced space technologies.

To further expand academic participation, Space Technology Incubation Centres (STICs) have been established across different regions of the country. These centres facilitate collaborative research between universities and ISRO scientists and help students develop indigenous space technologies under expert mentorship.

The Minister also highlighted the role of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in promoting student engagement in the space sector. IN-SPACe has organised student competitions focused on designing and developing CAN-sized satellites and model rockets, in which 97 student teams comprising nearly 850 students have participated.

Dr. Jitendra Singh informed the House that IN-SPACe has authorised 17 student satellites and payloads so far, of which 11 have already been successfully launched. These missions have involved institutions from across the country including Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology, RV College of Engineering, Amity University Maharashtra, MIT World Peace University, Assam Don Bosco University, CV Raman Global University, and several other academic institutions, reflecting the growing national participation in student-led space missions.

Emphasising the Government’s commitment to making space research more inclusive, the Minister said ISRO’s RESPOND (Sponsored Research) Programme provides financial and technical support to universities and academic institutions across India to undertake research in space science, space technology, and applications.

In addition, Regional Academic Centres for Space (RAC-S) have been created to serve as regional access points for ISRO programmes, ensuring that students from smaller towns and colleges gain exposure to space science and technology.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that Space Technology Incubation Centres have also been deliberately located in tier-2 and tier-3 regions, helping develop indigenous technologies and promoting innovation beyond premier institutions.

The Minister further informed that AICTE has approved a Space Technology Minor Course, and a National Committee for Adoption of Space Technology Education in India has been formed in line with the Indian Space Policy-2023 to strengthen space education in the country.

Highlighting the growing enthusiasm among students, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that Model Rocketry and CanSat India Student Competition was jointly organised by IN-SPACe, ISRO and the Astronautical Society of India (ASI) in October 2025 at Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, where 67 teams comprising nearly 500 students designed, fabricated, and launched model rockets carrying CanSat payloads up to an altitude of about 1 kilometre.

The Minister also informed that the Government has earmarked around ₹10 crore annually for student-focused educational outreach activities related to space science and technology.

Dr. Jitendra Singh added that IN-SPACe is also nurturing the next generation of space entrepreneurs through several initiatives including mentorship from domain experts, pre-incubation entrepreneurship support programmes, and co-working facilities at IN-SPACe Technical Centres.

He said these initiatives are part of the Government’s broader vision to build a vibrant and inclusive space ecosystem in India, where students, startups, academic institutions, and industry all contribute to the country’s expanding role in the global space sector.

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AerospaceCOVER STORYSpace & Missiles

STRATEGIES TO EXPAND INDIA’S SHARE IN THE GLOBAL SPACE ECONOMY

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Delve into strategies designed to elevate India's role in the global space economy. Find out how innovation and collaboration can drive success.

With the landmark space reforms in 2020, The Government of India has liberalized the Indian space sector and constituted, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), an autonomous, single-window, independent nodal agency in Department of Space (DoS), to facilitate and promote the participation of private players/Non-Government Entities (NGEs) across the entire spectrum of space activities.

IN-SPACe carried out a market study in collaboration with ISRO, NGEs and a leading consulting firm which resulted in development of a report titled ‘Decadal Vision and Strategy for the Development of the Indian Space Economy’ a strategic document crafted to steer India’s space industry and economic prospects in the next decade.

The decadal vision report outlines a roadmap aimed at fully realizing the potential of space technology to drive economic growth, foster innovation, and enhance global competitiveness. The envisaged growth will be realized, through focused strategic & enabling initiatives aimed at Demand generation, Capacity & Capability building, creating industrial ecosystem, Cross sectoral collaborations for R&D, enabling access to finance, talent creation & international outreach.

IN-SPACe has undertaken/enabled following strategic initiatives/actions (not limited to), which will converge towards achieving the decadal vision targets of $44 billion by 2033:

Providing Regulatory and Policy Framework for Indian Space Sector

Facilitation & Authorization of Space Activities & Ease of Doing Business for Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs)

Promoting & Enabling Transfer of Technology (ToT) to NGEs

Enabling Access to Critical Infrastructure & Technical Facilities

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) for Earth Observation

Impetus to Manufacturing & Development of Manufacturing Clusters in States

ToT of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to Industry

Financial Support Schemes for Space Startups and MSEs

Setting up of a Space Sector focused ₹1000 Cr Antariksh Venture Capital Fund

Skill Development & Space Courses for Talent pool creation

Access to Orbital Resources & Space Standards

Demand Generation Campaign for Adoption of Space Applications

Access to Finance & Investor Awareness Campaigns

International outreach and Space Diplomacy

These initiatives are strategically planned, regularly monitored, & periodically assessed, aligning with the current growth trajectory and evolving global market trends.

Indian space sector is poised to play a transformative role in the country’s technological and economic growth story, it must be positioned as a strategic enabler, not the sole engine of economic expansion. Space sector should be seen as a catalyst for broader sectoral development, not as a standalone pillar. For Balancing rapid expansion without getting over-reliant on Space sector or technologies, it is imperative to:

Position Space as an Enabler Across Sectors, it should be deeply integrated with agriculture, disaster management, urban development, logistics, climate action, defence, and digital services, which will distribute the risk of economic over-reliance.

Promote Cross-Sector Innovation & space-tech convergence with fields like AI, quantum computing, biotech, and green energy will ensure the gains are distributed and mutually reinforcing.

Promote a Balanced Innovation Portfolio with focus on nurturing a diverse technology ecosystem- supporting other high-growth sectors (semiconductors, electric mobility, fintech, etc.) alongside space, to ensure economic resilience even if space sector faces global market fluctuations.

Build Policy and Investment Guardrails, to ensure that fiscal and policy priorities remain balanced. While incentivizing space, equal emphasis should be placed on other sectors like- manufacturing, MSMEs, and green energy. Public-private investment strategies should avoid overconcentration of capital in any one sector.

India should use space to enable Socio-economic impact more distributed and inclusive, through a diversified innovation-led growth model, where space acts as an integrator and enabler. It will help to ensure that India’s economic trajectory remains balanced, resilient, and inclusive without risking over-reliance on any key sector or technologies.

This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, MoS Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

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