India eyes global space power status by 2040: ISRO chief

India is preparing to enter the elite league of global space powers by 2040, matching the capabilities of leading nations in launch vehicles, satellites, scientific missions, and ground infrastructure, according to ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan.

Speaking at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 in New Delhi on Wednesday, Narayanan said that the country’s space ambitions are on track to achieve full parity with advanced spacefaring nations within the next 15 years. “By 2040, India will be at par with any other developed space nation, in launcher capability, satellite technology, scientific missions, and ground systems,” he said, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for providing a strong vision and direction to India’s space programme.

Narayanan also reflected on the country’s remarkable technological transformation since Independence. “In 1947, there were only about 84,000 telephone lines for a population of 350 million. I come from a village in Kanyakumari district, and even in the 1990s, we had no telephone connectivity within a 5 km radius,” he recalled, sharing how he couldn’t speak to his parents during a 10-month stay in Russia in 1993.

The ISRO chief highlighted how the space programme has driven India’s communication revolution, from launching its first satellite Aryabhata in 1975 and demonstrating mass communication using a borrowed US satellite signal, to today’s widespread digital connectivity. “Now, 85 per cent of Indian households own smartphones and nearly 99.6 per cent of districts have 5G coverage,” he noted.

India currently operates 18 communication satellites with 354 transponders and 73 Gbps of high-throughput capacity. The GSAT-11 satellite alone, weighing 6,000 kg, continues to deliver robust performance. Narayanan also pointed out ISRO’s focus on connecting remote regions, including the Northeast, through dedicated spot beams.

Emphasising ISRO’s expanding global role, he said, “We believe in the growth of the global community. Last year, we launched 72 satellites in just two missions, and another communication satellite is scheduled for launch this month.”

With an ambitious roadmap ahead, India’s space agency is positioning itself not only as a driver of domestic growth and connectivity but also as a key contributor to the global space ecosystem.