NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for a safe, secure and sustainable space environment governed by international law, dialogue and multilateral cooperation, saying scientific data should be used for the common good with openness and integrity.
Addressing the first International Space Summit virtually, Modi said India’s space programme reflected its philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and that the benefits of space technology should reach people across the world.
“The promise of space is infinite. Our responsibility is collective. As orbits become more crowded, technologies more powerful, and actors more numerous, our choices must be clear: cooperation over confrontation; sustainability over short-term gain; and inclusion over exclusion,” he said.
The prime minister said India’s approach to space was guided by the principle of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, which he said should extend beyond the planet.
“We support a safe, secure, peaceful and sustainable space domain anchored in international law, dialogue and multilateral cooperation. Scientific data must serve the common good, with openness and integrity,” he said.
Modi said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had earned international recognition for its technological capabilities and cost-effective missions. Its work, he said, supports farmers and fishermen and contributes to weather forecasting, disaster management and navigation.
“More than 430 satellites from 34 countries have travelled to space aboard Indian rockets. ISRO’s technologies and partnerships serve not only India, but the wider world,” he said.
He credited generations of Indian scientists, engineers and technicians for building ISRO’s global standing through years of dedicated work.
Highlighting India’s recent achievements, Modi said the Chandrayaan-3 mission made the country the first to land near the lunar south pole, while the Aditya-L1 mission was helping scientists study the Sun. He also noted that an Indian astronaut had travelled to the International Space Station last year.
Looking ahead, India plans to establish its own space station by 2035 and send an Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040, he said, stressing that the benefits of these efforts should extend to humanity as a whole.
Modi said India’s private space sector was also expanding rapidly, with entrepreneurship adding momentum to the country’s space capabilities alongside ISRO.
He described France as a long-standing partner in India’s space programme, recalling that bilateral cooperation began at Thumba in the 1960s. The partnership now covers areas including earth observation and advanced technologies, he said.
“We invite France and the world to be co-travellers in India’s next space frontier,” Modi said.
Thanking French President Emmanuel Macron for inviting him to the summit, the prime minister said the Paris gathering should convey a message of collective exploration, innovation and responsibility.
“Let the space summit in Paris send a clear message: we will explore together, innovate together and protect space together, for all humanity, and for generations to come,” he said.