India is preparing for its own space station: PM Modi tells diaspora in Australia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid out his vision for India's space sector, saying the country aims to develop its own space station. While addressing the Indian diaspora at the "Melbourne Meets Modi" event, PM Modi said that India is not resting on the success of the Chandrayaan mission and is moving ahead with ambitious space programmes.

He noted that these ambitious space programmes include the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission and the development of its own space station. PM Modi is visiting Australia as a part of his three-nation tour, which also includes New Zealand and Indonesia. While addressing the Indian diaspora, the Prime Minister said that India's achievements in space exploration reflect the country's belief in continuous progress and the vision driven by the motto of "Grow More, Achieve More".

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"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 this achievement alone. Because India believes - Grow More, Achieve More," he said to a massive gathering in Melbourne.

"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," he added. During his speech, the prime minister put emphasis on India's focus on innovation, science and technology.

'We are not just a trading nation'

Lauding Australia's revolutionary innovations, PM Modi said that India is transforming its innovation ecosystem while learning from global advancements. "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," he said.

"These innovations are making the world better. In the same way, India is also transforming its science, technology and innovation ecosystem," the prime minister furthered. PM Modi maintained that India is also 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.

He also highlighted India's growing startup landscape and said that the country now has over two lakh registered startups and thousands of new ventures are being registered every 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," PM Modi said.

He noted how several sectors, including space and defence, which were earlier closed off to private participation, have now opened their gates for new 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.

India leaps space exploration

It is pertinent to note that the remarks from the prime minister came a week after Indian private aerospace company Skyroot Aerospace announced the upcoming test flight of its Vikram-1 orbital rocket, named Mission Aagaman, marking a major milestone in India's private space sector.

What makes the mission significant is the fact that this will be India's first private orbital rocket launch. In a post on X, the company said the mission is scheduled to launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, with the launch window set between July 12 and August 4, 2026.

According to the statement, the mission aims to place a payload into a 450 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with a 60-degree inclination. Skyroot noted that the vehicle has been fully stacked at India's historic First Launch Pad (FLP), signalling the start of preparations for the mission.

Ahead of his address to 30,000 members of the Indian diaspora in Melbourne, PM Modi concluded a high-level summit with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Melbourne. The meeting of the two leaders marked a significant expansion of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).

There were 18 major outcomes spanning defence, maritime security, energy, critical technologies, education, mining, research and cultural cooperation, significantly expanding the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

With inputs from ANI.