Melbourne [Australia], July 9 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India is not resting on the success of the Chandrayaan mission and is moving forward with ambitious space programs, including the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission and the development of its own space station.
Addressing the Indian diaspora at the “Melbourne Meets Modi” event during his three-day official visit to Australia, Modi said India’s achievements in space exploration reflect the country’s commitment to continuous progress and its motto of “Grow More, Achieve More.”
“You have also seen that India successfully landed Chandrayaan on the south pole of the Moon. No other country in the world has achieved this. But India was not satisfied with only this achievement. Because India believes—Grow More, Achieve More. That is why India is now preparing to send its Gaganyaan mission into space. India is also moving towards the goal of building its own space station,” Modi said.
Highlighting India’s focus on innovation, science, and technology, the prime minister said the country is transforming its innovation ecosystem while drawing inspiration from global advancements, including Australia’s contributions to science and technology.
“We are not just a trading nation. We value innovation, science and technology. Australia has made many remarkable contributions—cochlear implants, Wi-Fi technology, cervical cancer vaccines, flight black boxes and secret ballot voting are among the many innovations in which Australia has played an important role. These innovations are making the world better. In the same way, India is also transforming its science, technology and innovation ecosystem,” he said.
Modi said India is nurturing innovation among young students through initiatives such as Atal Tinkering Labs, which encourage scientific thinking and creativity from an early age.
“You will be happy to know that today more than 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs are operating in Indian schools. These labs are building a mindset of innovation among students from an early age. In the last 12 years, India has become the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem,” he said.
The prime minister highlighted India’s expanding startup landscape, noting that the country now has more than 200,000 registered startups and that thousands of new ventures are launched each month.
“Today, India has more than 2 lakh registered startups. More than 4,000 new startups are being registered every month. Hundreds of startups are also working in sectors like defence and space,” Modi said.
He added that sectors such as defense and space, once closed to private participation, now offer new opportunities for entrepreneurs.
“I mention these examples because many of these sectors were earlier closed to private entrepreneurship. They were opened only a few years ago, and now Indian entrepreneurs are creating new possibilities. One Indian space startup is soon going to launch a satellite using its own rocket for the first time,” he said.
Last week, Indian private aerospace company Skyroot Aerospace announced the upcoming test flight of its Vikram-1 orbital rocket, Mission Aagaman, marking the first private orbital rocket launch from India.
In a post on X, the company said the mission is scheduled to launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, with a launch window between July 12 and Aug. 4, 2026.
The Vikram-1 test flight aims to place a payload into a 450-kilometer low Earth orbit with a 60-degree inclination. Skyroot said the vehicle has been fully stacked at India’s historic First Launch Pad, marking the beginning of final launch preparations.
Modi made the remarks while addressing about 30,000 people at the community event, believed to be the largest such gathering hosted by any world leader in Australia.
Earlier in the day, Modi concluded a high-level summit with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Melbourne, resulting in a significant expansion of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The visit, from July 8 to July 10, produced 18 major outcomes spanning defense, maritime security, energy, critical technologies, education, mining, research, and cultural cooperation, further strengthening bilateral ties. (ANI)
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