Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, today highlighted that “every advancement in space technology has had a transformative impact on Earth” and added that “Satellite Communication (Satcom) is not just a tool but a transformative force, bringing Digital India to every household, village, and corner of the country.” He said, “the applications of Satcom extend across sectors vital to our people’s everyday lives and India’s sustained growth”.
The Minister was speaking at the session themed “Advancing Space Communications and Global partnerships” at the 3rd Indian Space Conclave being held in New Delhi. It was organised by Indian Space Association (ISPA), a non-profit industry body, engaged in collaborative development of the Private Space Industry in India. It witnessed participation by stakeholders from government, industry, and academia to discuss the future of India’s space sector.
Stating that India is now a global contender, a partner, and a leader in space exploration, Dr.Pemmasani informed that the Government of India has introduced progressive policies to foster the growth of the space sector.Dr.Pemmasanisaid “Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji’s belief that ‘India’s rise is inevitable’ has sparked a renaissance in Indian space science.Policies like the ‘SatCom Reform 2022’ have eased the path for both public and private sector participation, creating an environment where innovation thrives.The government’s commitment, from the victorious Chandrayaan missions to the ambitious Gaganyaan program, has propelled India to the forefront of the global space race”. The Minister pointed out that “This partnership between ground and sky creates a robust, resilient network that empowers enterprise solutions across sectors and meets the evolving needs of a modern economy”, and added that “Satcom is not here to compete with terrestrial networks; it is here to complement them”.
The event was also attended by Ms. Madhu Arora, Member (Technology), Department of Telecommunications. Delivering her address, she said that Satcom sector holds immense promise for enabling vast coverage, robust and reliable telecommunication connectivity, especially in disaster-like situations.She informed that the DoT is actively working with national and international stakeholders to address the pressing challenges of Spectrum management, space debris mitigation and cybersecurity.
The eventbrought together different stakeholders including policymakers, government bodies, industry, user community, academia and resource providers and had focusseddiscussions on various areas related to SatCom including “Strengthening Satcom Adoption in India: Bridging Challenges & Opportunities”; “Exploring Avenues of Collaboration: Space Domain Awareness & Sustainability”; “Innovation, Security and Future Space capabilities”; “Emerging Opportunities from Human Space Flight in Space & Beyond” and “navigating Global Newspace landscape: policy Framework and Regulatory Challenges for Deeper Cooperation & Co-creation”.
