‘Reimagining Space for Socio-Economic Development’

Chandigarh, July 10, 2023: In the last nine years, India has witnessed a remarkable progress in its space journey under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and we are now at par with countries like the USA and leading space organizations like NASA are collaborating with ISRO.

This was stated by Haryana Governor Shri Bandaru Dattatraya while speaking as the Chief Guest on the topic of ‘Reimagining Space for Socio-Economic Development’ at the India Space Congress-2023 organized in New Delhi on Monday.

“This Congress stands as a testament to our nation’s indomitable spirit of innovation and exploration, and I am humbled to witness the remarkable strides we have made in the field of space and satellite technology,” said Shri Dattatraya.

Talking about multiple achievements of ISRO, Shri Dattatraya said: “Over the years, ISRO has been at the forefront of India’s space exploration endeavours, revolutionizing the nation’s capabilities in space science and technology.”

“One of the remarkable achievements of ISRO is the Mars Orbiter Mission, also known as Mangalyaan. In 2014, ISRO made history by becoming the first space agency in the world to successfully place a spacecraft in Mars’ orbit on its maiden attempt. This milestone not only showcased India’s technological prowess but also highlighted the remarkable cost-effectiveness of the mission,” he said.

Hailing ISRO’s Young Scientist Programme, he said that this program aims at imparting basic knowledge on Space Technology, Space Science and Space Applications to the young talents with the intent of encouraging them in the fascinating domain of outer space.

Lauding the efforts of the Haryana government in the field of space technology, Shri Dattatraya said: “Haryana has embarked on an incredible journey of harnessing space technology for the greater good. Our commitment to utilizing satellite technology for sustainable development has paved the way for groundbreaking applications that have positively impacted the lives of our citizens.”

“At the forefront of our endeavours stands the Haryana Space Applications Centre, a beacon of innovation and progress. This centre has been instrumental in providing specialized services and solutions that have transformed the way we manage and utilize our resources. Through the synergy of remote sensing, unmanned aerial vehicles, and geographic information systems, Haryana has witnessed an unprecedented transformation in various sectors,” he said.

He said that as we continue our quest for progress, we understand the importance of collaboration and knowledge exchange. Haryana Space Applications Centre has been an active participant in national and international research and development initiatives, forging partnerships that transcend geographical boundaries, he said.

Prominent among those present on the occasion included Shri S Somanath, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, ISRO; Dr Subba Rao Pavuluri, CMD, Ananth Technologies and President, SIA-India; Dr Shailesh Nayak, Director, National Institute of Advanced Studies and former Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences; Smt Gunjan Dave, Member, Technology, DCC, Department of Telecommunications; Mr Nathan de Ruiter, Managing Director, Euroconsult; Mr Alex MacDonald, Chief Economist, NASA; and Shri Anil Prakash, Director General, SIA-India.