ISRO’s National Space Meet 2.0 Charts Bold Roadmap for Viksit Bharat 2047

New Delhi, Aug 22 – The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) marked the second National Space Day with a landmark event, the National Space Meet 2.0, at Bharat Mandapam on Friday. Themed “Leveraging Space Technology and Applications for Viksit Bharat 2047”, the meet brought together the Union Government, state representatives, academia, private industry, startups, and citizens to design India’s space-enabled growth roadmap for the next two decades.

The meet, organized to commemorate the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander, outlined strategies to triple India’s operational satellites in the next three years, expand applications across all sectors, and position India among the world’s top space powers by 2040.

“Space is About Life on Earth”

Chief guest Shri P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, hailed India’s space reforms as a model of collective national resolve. Highlighting the sector’s transformation, he noted how India’s startup base had surged from just two in 2014 to more than 350 today, with several already building and launching satellites.

“India’s space journey is about empowering citizens, bridging divides, and building a self-reliant nation. As we march towards Viksit Bharat 2047, space will be one of the strongest enablers of growth and transformation,” Shri Mishra said. He urged for regular institutionalization of the National Space Meet, deeper private sector participation, and integration of AI, quantum technologies, and big data into future space systems.

Ten Breakout Sessions, Hundreds of Use Cases

Over the past four months, ISRO worked with ministries, states, and experts to identify hundreds of use cases of space applications. The National Space Meet featured 10 thematic sessions—ranging from agriculture and water to health, education, energy, disaster risk reduction, coastal management, and geo-governance—each chaired by senior officials and secretaries.

Shri Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, stressed that the meet was not just theoretical but a “hands-on problem-solving exercise” where government and industry co-created solutions. He called for greater trust in private sector capacity, and urged startups to view space not merely as a business but as a “national mission.”

ISRO’s Bold Vision

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan traced India’s journey from the humble rocket launches at Thumba to today’s constellation of 55 operational satellites. He outlined three priorities for the next decade:

• Capability augmentation with advanced instruments and autonomous constellations.
• Institutionalizing applications in food, water, energy, environment, and citizen services.
• Private sector integration under India’s space reforms framework.

By 2040, Narayanan said, India would be “at par with global leaders in rockets, satellites, and applications,” significantly contributing to Viksit Bharat 2047.

Reform Momentum and Global Alliances

Dr. V.K. Saraswat, NITI Aayog Member, emphasized that policies such as the Geospatial Policy 2022 and Indian Space Policy 2023 have shifted India to a demand-driven, partnership-based model aligned with Space 4.0. He called for an International Alliance on Space to address challenges like debris mitigation, space-based energy, and legal frameworks.

Roadmap Ahead

The concluding session unveiled a comprehensive roadmap, including:

• A Pan-India consultative mechanism for user demand aggregation.
• Deployment of 119 Earth Observation, SATNAV, and SATCOM satellites by 2040.
• Public-Private Partnership models for high-resolution satellites and communications.
• Expansion of global collaborations such as the NASA-ISRO SAR mission and the G20 Satellites for Climate initiative.

The meet reaffirmed ISRO’s commitment to “reimagining governance for the 21st century,” with space technology serving as a daily enabler for citizens—from farmers and students to coastal communities and health workers.