India’s space ambitions are taking off on two fronts — in orbit and on the ground. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Space are not only nurturing a fast-growing private ecosystem of space start-ups but also aiming to lift the country’s share of the global space economy from 2% today to 8% by 2035.

Speaking at CNBC-TV18’s Global Leadership Summit 2025 in Mumbai on Friday, 7 November, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said: "As the Secretary of the Department of Space, it is my responsibility to 'handhold' them and ensure the space ecosystem in the country is growing as per the directions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

He said: “When the space sector reform was rolled out, hardly a few start-ups were active. Even though 450 industries were contributing to our

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