Gen Z Revolution: How India's Youth Are Transforming Space Sector After Modi's Reforms

PM Modi virtually inaugurated the Indian space start-up Skyroot's Infinity Campus in Hyderabad via video conferencing and unveiled Skyroot's first orbital rocket, Vikram-I, with the capability to launch satellites into orbit.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony via video conferencing, the Prime Minister stated that more than 300 start-ups are functioning in India's space sector after the entry of the private players.

He said, "India's youth puts the nation's interests first. They utilise every opportunity wisely. When the government opened the space sector, the country's youth, especially our Gen Z, leapt forward to take full advantage of it. Today, India's more than 300 space start-ups are giving new hope to India's space future."

Further, he praised the Gen Z for taking up roles in engineering, designing and coding, creating new technology.

The Prime Minister noted that the Indian space sector is becoming an "attractive destination" for global players to invest in.

"Today, Gen Z engineers, Gen Z designers, Gen Z coders, and Gen Z scientists are creating new technologies, whether in propulsion systems, composite materials, rocket stages, or satellite platforms. India's youth are working in fields that were unimaginable just a few years ago. India's private space talent is making its mark globally. India's space sector is becoming an attractive destination for global investors," PM Modi said.

He also stated that India will emerge as a global leader in the satellite launch ecosystem and praised the youth's risk-taking ability and innovative thinking.

The Prime Minister said, "The nation is witnessing an unprecedented opportunity in the space sector today. The private sector is taking great strides in India's space sector. Skyroot's Infinity Campus is a reflection of new thinking, innovation and youth power. Our youth's innovation, risk-taking ability, and entrepreneurship are touching new heights. Today's event shows that in future, India will emerge as a leader in the global satellite launch ecosystem."

He noted that India had begun its space journey with limited resources, but its resolve made a mark on the global space sector, and also lauded the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for giving a new flight to India's space journey for decades. It is pertinent to note that Skyroot was founded by former ISRO scientists.

"India's space journey began with limited resources, but our ambitions were never limited. From carrying a part of a rocket on a bicycle to the world's most trusted launch vehicle, India has proved that dreams are not achieved by resources, but instead by resolve. India has created its own identity with credibility, capacity and value. ISRO gave a new flight to India's space journey for decades," PM Modi.

Skyroot's Infinity Campus, a state-of-the-art facility, will have around 2,00,000 square feet of workspace for designing, developing, integrating and testing multiple launch vehicles, with a capacity to build one orbital rocket every month.

According to a press release by the PMO, Skyroot is India's leading private space company, founded by Pawan Chandana and Bharath Dhaka, both alumni of the Indian Institutes of Technology and former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists turned entrepreneurs. In November 2022, Skyroot launched its sub-orbital rocket, Vikram-S, becoming the first Indian private company to launch a rocket to space.

- ANI