ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, V Narayanan on Tuesday said that India’s space programme was conceived as a people-centric and application-driven initiative, focused on international cooperation rather than competition.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the US-India Space Business Forum, Narayanan highlighted the six-decade journey of India’s space sector, saying it has grown from modest beginnings into a globally respected ecosystem serving both national and international needs.
He acknowledged the early support of the United States in India’s space journey, noting that space-related activity in India began in 1962 and the first rocket launched by the country was made in the US and supplied by NASA. He recalled the launch of India’s first sounding rocket in 1963 and several early joint efforts in satellite applications, health observation studies, and lunar exploration.
“The Indian space programme was started not to compete with anybody but to bring advanced space technology for the benefit of the common man of India,” Narayanan said. He added that the programme has since expanded to serve the global community while remaining human-centric and application-oriented.
Welcoming US delegates and industry leaders, Narayanan said the US-India Space Business Forum reflects the growing convergence between the two countries in the space sector. He noted that the forum has brought together around 14 business partners from the United States and emphasized that space activities should be internationally collaborative.
Referring to recent milestones, he highlighted joint achievements such as the Chandrayaan missions, the NISAR satellite, and commercial launches, describing India-US cooperation as a mature and equal partnership marked by strong mutual trust.
Narayanan also pointed to the rapid expansion of India’s private space ecosystem following sectoral reforms in 2020. He said Indian industry now contributes a major share of mission hardware and software, enabling faster execution and cost efficiency. “Approximately 75 per cent of the funding and realisation comes through Indian industries,” he said.
Outlining future goals, the ISRO Chairman said India is working toward launching its first space station module by 2028 and establishing a fully operational multi-module Indian space station by 2035. He added that India is also targeting a crewed lunar mission by 2040.
He said upcoming plans include Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5 missions, Mars and Venus exploration, expansion of Earth observation and navigation constellations, and progress under the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.
Narayanan noted that long-term human space exploration will require a new class of heavy-lift launch vehicles. While India’s first successful launch vehicle in 1980 could carry only 35 kg to Low Earth Orbit, future crewed lunar missions would need rockets capable of lifting 80–100 tonnes, requiring new architectures, propulsion systems, and manufacturing capabilities. He added that ISRO is already developing next-generation launch vehicles with a 30,000-kg LEO capacity as an intermediate step.
