NEW DELHI, Dec 11: Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced on Wednesday that the Government is in the process of drafting a new legislation to oversee the space sector, which has seen significant reforms over the past four years, with private enterprises increasingly stepping up to design and launch satellites.
Singh further noted that India’s first human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, is making great strides, with the inaugural uncrewed mission anticipated to launch early next year.
During a press conference in response to inquiries about the timeline for the space activities bill—which aims to provide legal backing for ongoing reforms—the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated, “We are working on that.”
He highlighted that the Government announced space sector reforms in 2020 to boost India’s share in the global space economy.
In April 2023, the Indian Space Policy was unveiled as a comprehensive and dynamic framework to implement the vision for space reforms approved by the Union Cabinet, he added.
The Minister indicated a remarkable surge in space sector startups, with two private companies already achieving sub-orbital flight milestones.
“Many other startups have made significant advancements in developing launch vehicles, satellites, and space applications,” he mentioned.
Singh pointed out that the number of startups in the space sector has risen dramatically, from just one in 2014 to approximately 266 in 2024.
Additionally, he noted that the Government has established the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) under the Department of Space, which serves as a single-window agency to promote, regulate, and authorize space activities by non-governmental entities.
He also mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set ambitious goals for India’s space endeavors, including the Gaganyaan mission to create the first module of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, the Chandrayaan-4 mission to return lunar rock samples, a mission to study Venus, and the development of next-generation launch vehicles. (AGENCIES)
