India is eyeing expansion in the space sector across the globe as it aims to boost industry participation and international collaborations, said Dr K Sivan, chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
He was addressing the inaugural session on ‘Future of Space-International Participations & Collaborations’ at the the India pavilion at Expo 2020.
In a video message, he said he was glad that the Expo 2020 showcased space at the mega event.
"The Indian space sector is one of the potential opportunities that can be offered to global industries. With our rich heritage in space technology, the need was felt to develop a local space related economy and also considering the growing demand in space based applications and technology," he said.
Dr Sivan added that the Indian government has recognised the need for the democratisation of space.
"It has announced reforms in the space sector by enabling private industries to take up space activities," he said.
Highlighting the reforms in the sector, Dr Sivan said that the government is open to inviting private players in the space sector and ISRO is tying up with start-ups and industries.
The Indian industry is positively reciprocating by expressing self-reliance in the space domain. Especially start-ups are aggressively progressing towards qualifying various critical systems with innovative ideas," he said.
"So, there are turning points towards setting up a fertile ecosystem for space industries and institutions to create new job opportunities, encourage innovation and at the same time contribute to the global space economy. India is focusing on international collaborations, including bilateral and multilateral partnerships.”
He also emphasised the need to make outer space safe and that it is a collective responsibility of the government and non-government agencies to ensure that.
“ISRO will be supportive of all international collaborations which benefit humanity,” he said.