India and Luxembourg have agreed to strengthen collaboration in space, science, and technology, with a focus on promoting Indian space start-ups in European markets. The decision came during a meeting between Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh and Luxembourg’s Ambassador to India, Christian Biever, held in New Delhi on Thursday.
Senior officials from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Space (DoS), and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) were also present at the meeting, which discussed expanding cooperation in innovation-driven areas such as cyber security, quantum technologies, and artificial intelligence.
Dr. Singh highlighted India’s growing stature as a global hub for science, innovation, and start-ups. He noted that India’s thriving private space ecosystem, supported by government reforms and ISRO’s industry-friendly initiatives, offers significant opportunities for international collaboration. He suggested that Luxembourg, with its strong space finance and innovation ecosystem, could act as a gateway for Indian space start-ups seeking entry into the European market.
The Minister recalled the long-standing diplomatic relationship between India and Luxembourg, established in 1948, and the virtual summit held in November 2020 between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. The summit, he said, paved the way for deeper scientific and technological partnerships.
Dr. Singh also cited India’s recent achievements in space exploration, including the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made India the first country to successfully land near the Moon’s south pole in August 2023. He added that two Luxembourg satellites have already been launched aboard India’s PSLV rocket, following the 2022 memorandum of understanding on the peaceful use of outer space. ISRO’s participation in the Luxembourg Space Agency’s “Space Resources Week 2024” further underscored growing cooperation between the two nations.
Both sides discussed new initiatives to strengthen joint research, industrial linkages, and innovation in emerging technologies, renewable energy, and space exploration.