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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 26 June, addressed the 90th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat. PM in the address mentions the agency named, In-Space’. He said there is hardly any of us who, in one’s life, has not had fantasies about the sky. PM added, “During one’s childhood, stories of the moon and stars in the sky attract everyone. For the youth, touching the sky is synonymous with making dreams come true. Today, when our India is touching the sky of success in so many fields, how can the skies, or space, remain untouched by it! In the past few years, many big feats related to the space sector have been accomplished in our country. One of these achievements of the country has been the creation of an agency named In-Space… an agency that is promoting new opportunities in the space sector for the private sector of India. This beginning has especially attracted the youth of our country. I have received messages related to this from many young people.”
Till a few years ago, in our country, in the space sector, no one even thought about start-ups. Today their number is more than a hundred. All these start-ups are working on ideas that were either not thought about earlier or considered impossible for the private sector
“A few days ago, when I had gone to dedicate to the people the headquarters of In-Space, I saw the ideas and enthusiasm of many young start-ups. I also talked to them for a long time. You too will not be able to help being surprised when you learn about them. For example, take just the number and speed of space start-ups. Till a few years ago, in our country, in the space sector, no one even thought about start-ups. Today their number is more than a hundred. All these start-ups are working on ideas that were either not thought about earlier or considered impossible for the private sector. For example, Chennai and Hyderabad have two start-ups – Agnikul and Skyroot! These start-ups are developing launch vehicles that will take small payloads into space. Through this, the cost of Space Launching is estimated to come down significantly. Similarly, Dhruva Space, another Start-Up of Hyderabad, is working on High Technology Solar Panels for Satellite Deployer and Satellites. I also met Tanveer Ahmed of Digantara, another space start-up who is trying to map waste in space. I have also given him a challenge that they should evolve work technology, which can solve the problem of waste in space. Both Digantara and Dhruva Space are going to make their first launch from ISRO’s launch vehicle on the 30th of June. Similarly, Neha, the founder of Astrome, a space start-up based in Bangalore, is also working on an amazing idea. This start-up is making such flat antennas which will not only be small, but their cost will also be very low. Demand for this technology can be all over the world.”
PM minister further shared his experience of a programme of In-Space. He stated that he met Tanvi Patel, a Mehsana school student, during the programme. She is currently working on a very small satellite that will be launched into space in the coming months. Tanvi explained her work to him in Gujarati. The PM stated that, like Tanvi, approximately 750 school students across the country are working on 75 such satellites as part of the Amrit Mahotsav. PM expressed delight that the majority of these students come from small towns across the country.