Prime Highlights
- Technology convergence will shape geopolitical power, Shekhawat said.
- India’s space sector now has around 440 startups.
Key Facts
- Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism.
- ISRO plans major missions to the Moon, Mars and Venus.
Background
Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said the convergence of space technology, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, robotics, semiconductors and high-performance computing will shape a nation’s geopolitical and economic position.
Speaking at the third National Space Day event in August, Shekhawat said these technologies will increasingly work together instead of developing as separate fields. He said countries that lead in this convergence will gain technological, economic and strategic advantages.
Shekhawat also backed greater private participation in India’s space sector. He said opening the sector to private companies and startups does not reduce the importance of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Instead, it expands the capacity and opportunities available to the wider space ecosystem.
He said India has moved from an organisation-focused space model to an ecosystem-driven approach involving private companies, startups, academic institutions and investors. He described the opening of the sector as a way to make space opportunities more accessible.
The minister also flagged challenges such as space debris, cybersecurity, data protection and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. He said future global competition could increasingly focus on disrupting technological capabilities.
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said India’s space programme has expanded significantly since sector reforms in 2020. The country now has around 440 space startups.
Narayanan highlighted major upcoming missions, including Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5. India also plans to launch more than 300 satellites over the next six to seven years, undertake Mars and Venus missions, and establish an Indian Space Station by 2035.
