Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday announced that an Indian astronaut will proclaim “Viksit Bharat 2047” from the Moon’s surface in 2040, sending a powerful message across the universe that India has emerged as a global space power. Speaking at the National Space Day celebrations at Bharat Mandapam, the minister outlined an ambitious 15-year roadmap for India’s space programme, emphasizing the launch of over 100 satellites, with 70 per cent being small satellites, driven by both government and private sector initiatives.
Dr Singh highlighted that India’s space programme transcends rockets and satellites, focusing on empowering citizens, enhancing lives, and shaping a brighter future. He described National Space Day as a testament to India’s growing stature in global space exploration, noting that the country has transitioned from a follower to a trusted partner in international missions. The minister recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 vision of integrating space technology into governance, which has evolved significantly over the past decade. The recently concluded National Meet 2.0, held ten years after the first Mega User Meet in 2015, produced nearly 90 documents spanning over 5,000 pages, laying the foundation for a comprehensive space roadmap to 2040.
This roadmap aims to leverage space technology for food and water security, disaster resilience, environmental sustainability, and inclusive growth, aligning with the vision of a developed India by 2047. Dr Singh emphasized the transformative role of the private sector, with hundreds of startups now driving innovation in areas like interplanetary exploration and governance applications, including disaster management, smart city planning, and land ownership mapping through drones.
The National Space Day event also celebrated student innovators, with Dr Singh presenting awards to winners of the Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon-2025 and the ISRO Robotics Challenge – URSC 2025. The hackathon saw participation from over 61,000 students across 8,744 teams, competing in fields like geospatial technologies, space science, and artificial intelligence. The top 30 teams showcased their solutions in a 30-hour marathon, with three teams emerging as winners. The robotics challenge, themed “Fly me on Mars,” tasked students with designing autonomous aerial navigation systems for GPS-denied environments, fostering skills for future interplanetary missions.
Dr Singh outlined ISRO’s upcoming milestones, including the successful launch of NavIC earlier this year and the Vayumitra human-robot mission later in 2025. The Gaganyaan mission, India’s first human spaceflight, is slated for 2027, followed by Chandramitra in 2028, Chandrayaan-4, a Venus mission, and the establishment of the Bharat Antariksh Station by 2035. The minister reiterated India’s goal of landing an astronaut on the Moon by 2040, a landmark achievement symbolizing the nation’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Reflecting on this year’s theme, “Aryabhatta to Gaganyaan: Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities,” Dr Singh underscored the blend of traditional knowledge and modern innovation driving India’s space programme. He highlighted the global significance of experiments conducted by Indian astronauts in fields like life sciences and biotechnology, which are expected to benefit humanity at large.