On 23 August, India celebrates the first-ever National Space Day, marking the anniversary of Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing on the Moon. The country will honor not just a monumental achievement in space exploration but also the dawn of a new era in India’s space journey.
Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (retd.), Director General of the Indian Space Association (ISpA) said: “As we celebrate the first anniversary of Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing and the first-ever National Space Day, it’s essential to reflect on the remarkable milestones that have shaped India’s space industry over the years. The private space sector in India, with support from the government and ISRO, has witnessed a meteoric rise with the surge in startups and investments in the last few years.”
Lt. Gen. Bhatt highlighted the transformative initiatives that have paved the way for India’s thriving space industry. He emphasized, “For the formation of a strong bedrock for India’s thriving space industry, initiatives like the new comprehensive Space Policy, setting up of IN-SPACe, reforms like liberalized FDI regulations, and the New Telecom Act allocating spectrum by administrative method have already given a much-needed kickstart to the private industry. We really look forward to the continuity of policy reforms and further momentum towards ironing the remaining bottlenecks to enable the private space industry to take on more responsibility in building and supporting India’s contribution to the global space economy.”
In the same vein, Agendra Kumar, Managing Director of Esri India, praised the nation’s achievements and emphasized the importance of Earth science data in space exploration. “The successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission has placed India among an elite group of space-faring nations,” he said. “The accomplishments of being the fourth nation to land on the surface of the Moon, and the first to land near the south pole of the Moon, have been phenomenal, encouraging us to focus on creating a robust space infrastructure and delve deeper into space science and its applications.”
Kumar also elaborates on the critical role of Earth science data in addressing global challenges. “Earth science data is crucial for enhancing data-driven scientific research, developing effective action plans for mitigating climate change and natural disasters, and educating the next generation to be well-prepared for environmental changes,” he explained. He also highlighted Esri India’s collaboration with ISRO and State Remote Sensing & Space Applications Centres to ensure that Earth science data is available in GIS-ready formats, making it easier to integrate and analyze for informed decision-making.
