Youth of country have benefited a lot: PM Modi praises space sector reforms in Mann ki Baat

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In the 113th episode of his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi lauded the advancements in India's space sector, highlighting how the sector's reforms have greatly benefited the nation's youth.

PM Modi also emphasised the importance of the inaugural National Space Day, celebrated on August 23.

"A lot is happening in 21st-century India that is strengthening the foundation of a developed Bharat. For instance, on August 23, the entire nation celebrated the first National Space Day. Once again, you must have rejoiced in the success of Chandrayaan-3. Last year, on this very day [August 23], Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed at the Shiv-Shakti point on the moon's southern hemisphere, making India the first country to achieve this milestone," PM Modi stated during his address.

"The country's youth have also greatly benefited from the reforms in the space sector," he added.

PM Modi also engaged with the leaders of Galaxeye, a space-tech startup founded by alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras, asking how their technology could benefit the nation.

Suyash, a member of Galaxeye, recounted the startup's journey, beginning with their participation in the Hyperloop project, where they gained recognition as one of the top 20 teams out of 1,500 worldwide.

"During our engineering studies, we conceived a project called 'Hyperloop.' We formed a team named 'Avishkar Hyperloop' and took our idea to America. That year, we were the only team from Asia to participate, proudly raising our national flag. We were among the top 20 teams out of approximately 1,500 from around the world," Suyash shared in response to the PM's query.

He also praised the government's decision to open up the space sector to private companies, calling the 2020 move a landmark decision.

"We were very excited about this," he added.

PM Modi congratulated the team on their achievements. The team also explained how their technology could capture clear images through clouds and at night, providing daily updates on any location in India.

"We can take a clear picture of any part of the country every day. The data we gather will be used in two main areas: First, to enhance India's security by monitoring our borders, oceans, and seas daily, tracking enemy activities, and providing intelligence to our armed forces. Second, to empower Indian farmers. We've already developed a product for shrimp farmers that can measure water quality in their ponds from space at a fraction of the current cost. In the future, we aim to produce the highest quality satellite images to address global challenges like climate change," explained one team member.

When PM Modi inquired about the technology's precision, the team mentioned it could capture resolutions of less than 50 cm, covering more than 300 sq km at a time.

Another team member informed the Prime Minister about the significant changes in policies such as the 'Geo-Spatial Data Policy' and 'Indian Space Policy' over the past three years, noting how ISRO's infrastructure and facilities have become accessible to them.

"We can now easily visit ISRO to test our hardware, which has been tremendously helpful for us and other startups," he noted.

PM Modi concluded by saying that when reforms occur in a sector, they have a ripple effect, benefiting many people.

"The youth of the country are now eager to explore their future in this field right here in India," he said.

(With ANI inputs)