Hosted by Sourya Reddy
Edited by Manasi Nene
India’s space sector is all set to boom, with the government announcing reforms last year, to increase private sector participation in this area. India currently accounts for just above 2% of the global space sector, but is expected to increase this share over the next decade.
A big debate with increasing investments in the space sector has been about priorities; as a country with a long way to go in achieving good, basic standards of living, like educational and healthcare outcomes, does investing in the space sector seem like something of a luxury? But investing in space, especially in today’s day and age, is a critical part of a country’s development journey.
From improving communication, to better weather forecasting and environmental protection, the role of the space sector is massive. We spoke to Kiran Karnik, former Director of ISRO’s Development and Educational Communicational Unit (1983-1991) and Dr. Anil Bhardwaj, Director of the Physical Research Laboratory to learn more about the role of space in a country’s development aspirations.
This is the first episode of a 2-part series on the Indian space sector, its role in India’s development journey and the skills gap it faces.
[…] Watch: Part I and Part II of India’s Space Aspirations, […]