India is working towards becoming self-reliant in the space sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday during his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort.
Congratulating Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on his recent mission to the International Space Station (ISS), PM Modi said that India is working towards building its own space station and will also launch its very own human spaceflight mission soon.
“We are working on becoming self-reliant, atmanirbhar, even in the space sector. We are preparing for the Gaganyaan Mission. We are also preparing to set up our own space station,” PM Modi said.
In 2023, setting up the roadmap for India’s space programme, PM Modi had set an ambitious target for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to design and set up India’s very own space station, the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), by 2035. In subsequent meetings, it was announced that the first module of the space station—built in line with the ISS—will be launched as early as 2028.
“I am proud that more than 300 startups of the country are working just in the space sector. Among those 300 startups, thousands of youth are working with full capability. This is the strength of the youth of our country, and this is our trust in the youth of our country,” he said.
The Prime Minister also announced the launch of Rs 1 lakh crore for the youth of the country.
“My country’s youth, today is 15th August, and on this very day, we are launching a scheme worth Rs 1 lakh crore for the youth of our country. From today, the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana is being implemented… Under this scheme, young men and women getting their first job in the private sector will receive Rs 15,000 from the government. Companies that create more employment opportunities will also be given incentive amounts. The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana will create nearly 3.5 crore new employment opportunities for the youth,” he said.
He also announced that made-in-India semiconductor chips will be available in the market by the end of this year, marking a major milestone in India’s technological journey.
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“To the youth of the nation and to those around the world who understand India’s technological strength, I want to say this: by the end of this very year, ‘Made-in-India’ chips will be available in the market,” the Prime Minister stated, underlining the government’s push to make India self-reliant in semiconductor manufacturing.
