‘DEVELOPED INDIA 2047’ FROM THE MOON WILL SEND A MESSAGE TO THE WORLD: Dr. JITENDRA SINGH

‘DEVELOPED INDIA 2047’ FROM THE MOON WILL SEND A MESSAGE TO THE WORLD: Dr. JITENDRA SINGH

24-AUG-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

DELHI------------------------In his speech that was filled with science, poetry, realism and future possibilities, Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said that an Indian will announce “Developed India 2047” from the surface of the Moon in 2040 and it will send a message to the entire universe that India has arrived.

Addressing the National Space Day event at Bharat Mandapam here, Dr Jitendra Singh said that India’s space programme, right from the beginning, has been much more than rockets and satellites – it has been about empowering people, improving lives and shaping a better future. He also referred to the recently concluded National Meet 2.0, which was held a decade after the first mega User Meet in 2015.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, “National Space Day is a reminder that India’s achievements in space are not a goal in itself, but a step towards a broader vision—where science, innovation and public welfare come together to build the nation’s future.” Pointing to the four astronauts preparing for the Gaganyaan mission, Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla, Group Captain Prashant Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan and Group Captain Angad Pratap, he said that ISRO has created a valuable asset for India.

Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call in 2014 to expand the use of space technology in governance, Dr Jitendra Singh said that 2015 had set the vision to integrate space applications into major development programmes. “Ten years later, both the government and the private sector have significantly enhanced their space capabilities,” he said. He further said that about 300 interactions were held with user departments ahead of the second edition of the national conference and about 90 documents containing over 5,000 pages were prepared, which lay the foundation for a 15-year action plan. The plan envisages the launch of over 100 satellites, 70 per cent of which will be small satellites, to be implemented through a mix of government technology missions and private sector-led operational missions.

According to Dr Jitendra Singh, the action plan will guide India’s space journey to 2040 and beyond, and support the vision of a developed India by leveraging space technology for food and water security, disaster resilience, environmental sustainability and inclusive growth.

Advancing this vision, Dr Jitendra Singh said that India’s space programme has entered a transformational phase where it is no longer confined to mere symbolic achievements but has become a significant contributor to the country’s scientific progress, technological innovation and public welfare. At the event, he presented awards to students who won the Indian Space Hackathon-2025 and ISRO Robotics Challenge – URSC 2025 (IROC-U 2025).

Explaining the significance of National Space Day, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the occasion is a reminder of how far India has progressed since the early years of space research and how the country has evolved as a reliable participant in international missions. “India is no longer a follower; today, other nations look to India for value addition in their missions,” he said. He emphasized that the Day is not only to celebrate past achievements but also to introspect on what more can be done to unleash future opportunities in space science and technology.

Dr Jitendra Singh said opening up the space sector to the private sector has brought in a new wave of innovation and entrepreneurship. From being limited to only government projects earlier, India today has hundreds of start-ups engaged in developing technologies with potential applications in interplanetary exploration as well as in day-to-day governance. He pointed out that space technology has quietly entered people’s lives and given impetus to projects like disaster management, infrastructure monitoring, smart city planning, housing programmes and even land ownership mapping through drones.

While presenting awards to the student innovators, the Minister praised the efforts of the young talents in shaping India’s space future. The second edition of the Indian Space Hackathon saw participation of over 61,000 students from across the country, with 8,744 teams competing on problem-statements in geospatial technologies, space science, image processing and AI/ML. The grand finale held in early August saw the top 30 teams presenting their solutions in a 30-hour marathon session, from which the three best teams were selected.

Similarly, the theme of ISRO Robotics Challenge – URSC 2025 was “Fly Me on Mars”, in which student teams were tasked to design autonomous aerial navigation systems capable of operating in GPS-less environments. Dr Jitendra Singh said that such initiatives not only provide practical experience to the next generation, but also strengthen India’s long-term vision of developing indigenous capabilities for interplanetary exploration. The Minister also outlined ISRO’s future programmes and said that 2025 began with the successful launch of NavIC and would be followed by the launch of the human-robotic mission Vayumitra this year. In 2027, India will attempt its first manned space flight under the Gaganyaan mission, followed by Chandramitra in 2028, Chandrayaan-4, a mission to Venus, and the establishment of the proposed India Space Station by 2035. He further said that India aims to send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040, an endeavour that will symbolically mark the country’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.

Reflecting on India’s space heritage, Dr Jitendra Singh said this year’s theme — “Aryabhatta to Gaganyaan: From Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities” — reflects the unique power of combining traditional knowledge with modern innovation. He further added that the experiments carried out by Indian astronauts and researchers, including in areas such as life sciences and biotechnology, are expected to be of benefit not only to India but to humanity as a whole.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, “National Space Day is a reminder that India’s achievements in space are not a goal in itself but a step towards a larger vision – where science, innovation and public welfare come together to build the country’s future.”

The ceremony was also attended by India’s four astronauts preparing for the Gaganyaan mission – Group Captain Prashant Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force – who are undergoing extensive training for the mission.

Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, ISRO, Dr V Narayanan presented the outline of India’s Human Spaceflight Programme and briefed the attendees on the upcoming ISRO missions, including key preparations for the Gaganyaan project. He emphasised that these initiatives are an important step towards establishing India as a major player in future human space exploration.