India is set to take its first steps towards its own human space flight when the uncrewed Gaganyaan mission soars to the skies later this year. Private players in the space sector are also gearing up for launching satellites on home-built rockets.
From a surge in startups to crewed mission preparations, 2025 marks a transformative year as India eyes $44 billion space economy by 2033.
The $1.2 billion in-space manufacturing market is expected to grow and be worth more than $20 billion by 2033.
If Rakesh Sharma represented the dreams of a nascent India looking outward, Shubhanshu Shukla embodies a confident India reaching for the controls.
'The scrapping of import duty would help Indian companies compete in international markets, thus paving the way for India becoming a space manufacturing hub for the world.'
'With India's growing capabilities in the space sector, this creates promising opportunities for enhanced collaboration and market access.'
Bhatt, a Gorkha officer, replaces Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, who has been appointed as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Mathura-based Strike 1 Corps -- one of the three assault forces of the army -- which is mandated to cross into Pakistan in a short notice.
The successful launch of Aditya-L1 - the country's maiden mission to study the Sun - is expected to garner increased investor interest in the Indian space sector and trigger more funding for private players. Several private sector players, including Larsen & Toubro (L&T), MTAR Technologies, and Ananth Technologies, have played a pivotal role in the Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro's) solar observatory mission. Aditya-L1 on Saturday set off on a 125-day journey on a PSLV-C57 rocket, in its attempt to study various elements relating to the nearest star from the halo orbit around Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from Earth.
NavIC consists of a constellation of seven satellites and a network of ground stations and is touted to be more accurate than GPS.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Thursday came out with the Indian Space Policy 2023 to promote greater private sector participation in the entire value chain of the space economy. According to the policy, Isro will encourage new-generation entities to participate in space exploration and human presence in outer space, including collaboration with domestic and international stakeholders. The policy also sets a road map for Isro to transition from manufacturing operational space systems to focus energies on research and development in advanced technologies.
'This may open up doors for private players in India to collaborate with global players in commercial missions.'
AzaadiSAT had around 75 small payloads developed by schoolgirls of 75 rural schools.
The race for space has got real, and it is attracting funding like never before. In 2022 so far, funding to private players in the space sector has jumped a whopping 61.5 per cent - soaring to $108.52 million compared to $67.2 million in 2021. Propelling it is the government's decision to open up the space sector to private players and the work done by companies like Skyroot Aerospace, the Hyderabad-based start-up behind the launch of India's first privately developed rocket on November 18.
The IAF plea has claimed that the 'information so sought includes details related to the entire entourage, names of Special Protection Group personnel accompanying the Prime Minister of India on foreign tours for his personal safety, and the same, if disclosed, can potentially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State'.
A rare bonhomie among three private telecom companies in raising tariffs coming on the back of a bailout package by the government may have helped the telecom sector avert a crisis but the challenges haven't ceased to exist as the industry faces a cash-guzzling task of rolling out 5G networks in the coming months. The sector that provides direct and indirect employment to millions is projected to see Rs 1.3 lakh crore to Rs 2.3 lakh crore of investments in the coming years in creating robust infrastructure and building telecom and network products that have been incentivised by the government through PLI and other initiatives. After years of cut-throat competition and the apex court ruling on payment of past statutory dues left some players in the lurch, billionaire Sunil Mittal's Bharti Airtel and struggling Vodafone Idea almost in tandem raised tariffs, taking the plunge they had long been talking about.
Citing various incidents, Bhatt said that Pakistani troops resort to heavy firing without provocation, they said.
A resident of Uttarakhand's Badena village, Singh had joined the army in 2016 and is survived by his parents.
Indian Army's Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen A K Bhatt on Monday met his Pakistani counterpart.
During the DGMO talks over a telephonic conversation, army said that it does not target civilians.
He said such an act cannot be carried out without the "protection, participation or the actual indulgence" of the army.
Indian Army's Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen A K Bhatt conveyed to his Pakistani counterpart that the trend of cross-border infiltration with "active support" of Pakistani forward posts has been continuing, impacting peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
4 civilians were also killed and dozens of others injured in clashes that broke out between protestors and security forces following three separate encounters.
He said the killing of the two soldiers and beheading them showed frustration of the Pakistan military and asserted that it will never be able to justify the action.
In a telephonic conversation, Lt Gen A K Bhatt, the director general of military operations, also told his Pakistani counterpart that the Indian Army was sincere about maintaining peace on the LoC.
The total length of rath yatra procession stretches up to 1.5 km. It will return to the temple after almost 11 hours of journey.
According to a police official, an altercation broke out at a hotel where he allegedly wanted to enter with an 18-year-old woman.
Shoaib Pottanikal, 49, was arrested by a team of Ahmedabad Crime Branch sleuths
Local commanders of Pakistan also told Indian counterpart that no ceasefire violation was committed by their side.
The protests were held after police detained Dalit leader and independent MLA Jignesh Mevani, and over 70 others, in Saraspur area of Ahmedabad on Sunday morning when they tried to stage demonstrations over Vanakar's death.
The Surat police has formed six teams to trace self-styled godman Asaram Bapu's son Narayan Sai, whose whereabouts are not known after complaints of sexual assault were filed against the father-son duo by two sisters.
According to a statement issued by the VHP in Delhi, Togadia, 62, who suffered from low blood sugar levels, was found in an unconscious state in Shahibaug and was taken to Chandramani Hospital located in the same area.
An SIT has been formed to probe the killing.
He was allegedly involved in the killings of Asaram's personal doctor Amrut Prajapati in June 2014, his assistant-cum-cook Akhil Gupta in January 2015 and another key witness, Kripal Singh, in July 2015 in different parts of the country, said the release.
This is the first arrest under the Act which came into force in July 2017, replacing the 1982 vintage law, according to which an accused can face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment till death and his properties can be confiscated, police said.
"I am being targeted for a decade-old case, there is an attempt to suppress my voice. Rajasthan Police team came to arrest me. Someone told me plan was being made to kill me in an encounter," the VHP president claimed.
A two-member commission set up by the Gujarat government to inquire into the alleged snooping on a woman by police has issued summons to Ashish Khetan of Gulail.com and asked him to file an affidavit by January 15 in connection with the release of audio tapes.
Basit was called in by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to convey India's strong views on the incident, the external affairs ministry said.
A range of retaliatory measures are being weighed by India's generals.
An ATS official said that Farooq Mohammad Bhana was one of the key accused, who hatched the conspiracy to burn the train at Godhra Railway Station on February 27, 2002.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances