Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said that the world will witness first Indian in Space and another Indian in the Deep Sea by 2025. Speaking on India’ s progress in Space and Marine sector at Bharat 24 News network, he said space sector is limited to launch rockets and satellites but it will also propel growth and positively impact agriculture, infrastructure, communication, healthcare etc.
Land Record management, new geospatial policy, new space policy, and initiatives such as soil health card, DBT, land mapping etc. will boost farmer productivity, he added. He said, “In 2022 we had just one space Startup and in 2024 after opening the space sector for private participation we have nearly 200 startups and many among them have global capacity. He also shared that in just a few months Rs. 1000 crore of Private sector investment has come into the Space sector”.
He unveiled India’s forthcoming milestones in space and marine exploration and announced the selection of four astronauts, including three Group Captains and one Wing Commander, for India’s inaugural Human Space Mission, Gaganyaan, to launch by 2025. Concurrently, India plans its first Deep-Sea mission to send 3 Indians to explore oceanic depths in the same year.
He highlighted initiatives such as new geospatial and space policies, fostering a surge in private sector startups, nearly 200 since 2022, with significant investment inflows. India’s leadership in quantum technologies through the National Quantum Mission and efforts to harness resources like the Himalayas and marine ecosystems were also underscored.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, “India is among the frontline nations in terms of quantum technologies as we have the National Quantum Mission”. He also highlighted India’s Vast resources which are untapped such as Himalayan resources, Marine Resources of 7500 km long coastline. The minister also shared that the government is successful in bringing agriculture and entrepreneurship together by Aroma Mission which promotes lavender cultivation and empowers farmers economically with the help of technology.