Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced India's vision of achieving debris-free space by 2030 during the virtual inauguration of Cosmoserve Space's Base 1 facility in Hyderabad. The Minister emphasized that India is emerging among early global pioneers in space debris removal, with Indian startups advancing technologies to make outer space safer and more sustainable.
The Base 1 facility is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art operation spread across approximately 14,800 square feet at VSD Tech Park, Gachibowli, Hyderabad. The facility features specialized capabilities including orbital rendezvous and capture labs, space robotics innovation labs, microgravity simulation platforms, and satellite integration clean rooms. It serves as a center where space robots are designed, built, tested under space conditions, and operated through mission control.
Dr. Singh highlighted Cosmoserve Space's Mission EMBRACE, which conducted an in-space test of soft robotic petals in July 2026 within a year of the company's formation, demonstrating rapid progress and growing technological maturity of India's private space startups. The company has established partnerships with Pixel for satellite systems, Dhruv Aerospace Netherlands for propulsion systems, and Skyroot Aerospace for launch services, showcasing an emerging culture of end-to-end collaboration in space technology.
The Minister credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's transformative space reforms initiated around five to six years ago, followed by the establishment of NewSpace India Limited and IN-SPACe, for fundamentally reshaping the country's space ecosystem. India's space economy has grown to nearly USD 9 billion and is projected to reach USD 40-45 billion in the coming decade. The space startup ecosystem has expanded dramatically from a single-digit number to nearly 450 enterprises.
Dr. Singh called upon domestic and international investors to participate more actively in the space sector and urged greater philanthropy in science and research to accelerate innovation, strengthen collaborations, and support emerging technologies. He emphasized that India's ultimate objective remains technological self-reliance and sovereign capabilities, alongside international partnerships, with space capabilities transforming life on Earth through applications in Gati Shakti, smart cities, and disaster preparedness.