Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Thursday, 11 June 2026, attended the IN-SPACe Industry Connect event in Ahmedabad, describing it as a lively exchange of ideas between the government and private sector stakeholders in India's space industry, curated by IN-SPACe Chairman Dr. Pawan Goenka.

Context

The minister noted 'some valuable and doable suggestions, some thought-provoking ideas to carry home' from the session, signalling that industry inputs are being actively considered at the policy level. He also highlighted 'overwhelming enthusiasm in the room' following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to open the space and nuclear sectors to private players.

The IN-SPACe Industry Connect series is designed to create a structured dialogue between India's emerging private space ecosystem and the nodal regulatory body, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), which operates under the Department of Space.

Policy Backdrop

India's space liberalisation journey began in June 2020, when the government announced sweeping reforms under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, permitting private companies to build launch vehicles, deploy satellites, and offer space-based services — all under IN-SPACe oversight. The move ended decades of near-exclusive public-sector dominance led by ISRO.

Dr. Pawan Goenka, the former Managing Director of Mahindra and Mahindra, was appointed IN-SPACe Chairman to drive private-sector engagement. His industrial background was seen as a deliberate signal that the government intended to treat the space sector as a commercial opportunity, not just a strategic programme. The parallel opening of elements of the nuclear sector to private participation represents the next frontier in this liberalisation arc.

Stakeholders and Impact

India's private space startup ecosystem has grown substantially since the 2020 reforms, with dozens of firms working on launch vehicles, satellite platforms, and ground-segment services. Events like the IN-SPACe Industry Connect in Ahmedabad serve as a critical feedback loop, allowing startups and established aerospace firms to surface regulatory bottlenecks and investment concerns directly to policymakers.

Ahmedabad, home to aerospace institutions and a growing technology corridor in Gujarat, is an increasingly prominent venue for such high-stakes industry consultations. The minister's presence underscores the political priority placed on making India a competitive player in the global commercial space economy, which is projected to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming decade.

What's Next

The suggestions gathered at the Ahmedabad connect are expected to feed into ongoing inter-ministerial consultations on expanding private participation norms, particularly as the government weighs formal notifications on nuclear-sector involvement. Follow-on IN-SPACe Industry Connect events in other cities are anticipated as the agency seeks wider industry input before finalising updated regulatory frameworks.

With both space and nuclear sectors now on the liberalisation table, India's strategic technology policy is entering a new phase — one where private capital and entrepreneurial innovation are positioned as co-drivers alongside state institutions.