New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged India's private space industry to explore wider applications of space technologies across sectors, saying the country can become a magnet for global talent, companies and investment in the space sector.

He made the remarks while interacting with CEOs and founders of 20 space startups at Seva Teerth today, as he called for a greater collaboration between space companies and sectors such as agriculture and environmental protection.

The Prime Minister has encouraged space companies to look beyond their existing applications and focus on how their technologies can improve people's lives. He suggested that companies working on space debris could collaborate with environmental organisations, while those developing space technologies for agriculture could work with agricultural universities and departments to help farmers make better-informed decisions and improve output.

He also called for the creation of an ecosystem where, "when the world thinks of space, it looks towards India", saying the country's space sector can act as a magnet to attract global talent, companies and investment.

The CEOs and founders highlighted the rapid progress of India's private space industry and said companies across the world were showing growing interest in adopting and leveraging technologies developed by India's emerging space sector.

They also said the opening of the space sector to private participation had created new opportunities for industry and expressed appreciation for the support received from government.

The startups represented diverse areas including rockets and reusable semi-cryogenic launch vehicles, avionics, satellites, advanced propulsion systems, space and defence intelligence, space debris removal and AI-powered hyperlocal weather and climate intelligence.

PM Modi congratulated the space-sector leaders for taking the lead in a new area, saying the confidence shown by the industry had strengthened the vision behind opening the sector to private participation.

He noted that many countries either cannot invest in the space sector or do not wish to do so, presenting India with an opportunity to strengthen its position in the global space sector.

The Prime Minister also called for closer collaboration between space companies and Atal Tinkering Labs to create curiosity and interest in space among young children from an early age.

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The interaction included CEOs and founders of 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, Serendipity Space, Vassar Labs and mistEO.