As India celebrates the first anniversary of its groundbreaking Chandrayaan-3 mission to the lunar south pole, S. Somanath, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), has highlighted the urgent need for increased investment in the nation’s space sector. He emphasized that, despite significant achievements, India’s funding for space exploration remains modest compared to that of other nations with advanced space programs.
“We have to invest more in the space sector,” Somanath stated. “The amount of money that we receive for space programmes is a substantially lower percentage compared to many other nations which have full-fledged space programmes. We need to find ways to invest more in this sector,” he added in a statement given prior to National Space Day.
The ISRO chief made these remarks in New Delhi, where he marked the anniversary of India’s historic moon landing on August 23. The Chandrayaan-3 mission, executed with a budget of Rs 600 crores, was celebrated for its success. During the event, Somanath also introduced the ‘Model Curriculum for Space Technology,’ a framework developed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between AICTE and the Indian Space Association (ISPA) aimed at advancing higher education in the space industry.
Reflecting on ISRO’s space missions, Somanath described the agency’s journey as one of cautious progress. He recalled the decision to launch Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 as a pivotal moment for ISRO. “These were difficult choices. So, when the decision was made to go to the moon in 2008 with Chandrayaan-1, it was a very momentous occasion. Though we had been undertaking scientific missions ever since we started launching satellites, but to have a dedicated exploratory programme to the moon was very difficult. It changed the course for ISRO,” he said.
Chandrayaan-1, launched with a budget of Rs 386 crores, marked the beginning of ISRO’s planetary exploration endeavors. It was notable for discovering water molecules on the Moon, an achievement confirmed by subsequent missions and in-situ experiments. The mission also featured ISRO’s first impact probe on the lunar surface.
Looking ahead, Somanath expressed enthusiasm for future explorations. “All the five experiments aboard Chandrayaan-3 also went very well, and we collected a lot of data, and produced important findings. But we are excited to look beyond Chandrayaan-3. There are still many areas that we need to explore,” he noted.
With the Indian space sector increasingly open to private enterprise, ISRO is actively encouraging investment from large companies. The organization is also advancing its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to support industrial operations. “We are looking for big companies that can invest in the space sector and build additional infrastructure — rockets and satellites. For that, we need to create more satellite-based services, and therefore we are looking to make over 30 years of archival remote-sensing data available to the public. This data up to the resolution of five metres can be downloaded, and used for developing space-based applications. This model is successful in other countries, and we would also like to make its best use,” Somanath explained.
Herve Delphin, the European Union Ambassador present at the event, highlighted the EU’s commitment to space investment, noting a three-fold increase in funding from five billion Euros (2007-2013) to 15 billion Euros (2021-2027). In comparison, India’s space economy is currently valued at approximately $8.4 billion, holding a 2 percent share of the global space economy. The Indian government aims to quintuple this figure to nearly $44 billion, representing 7-8 percent of the global market, by 2033.
