“Five years ago, much of what we now take for granted would have seemed impossible, would have seemed optimistic. Today, it is a fact. The distance to a USD 44 billion space economy is real. What is here is the will, the talent, the capital, and the policy support. The capability is here, the commitment is here, the opportunity is here,” says IN-SPACe Chairman Dr Pawan Goenka.
He was speaking at the second day of India Space Congress 2026, in which industry leaders, policymakers, investors, international delegations, startups and academia converged around the theme Reinventing Collaboration in Space.
Goenka reflects on transformation, outlines next steps
Responding directly to concerns raised at the recently concluded 10th IN-SPACe Industry Connect Conference (IIC-10), he detailed measures aimed at accelerating private sector participation — including plans for private management of the Small Satellite Launch Complex at Kulasekarapattinam, launch incentive support for companies operating from Indian spaceports, and a dedicated ₹900 crore R&D fund for academic institutions.
He also flagged ongoing efforts to simplify authorisation processes, improve access to capital and expand industry participation in national space infrastructure.
Calling for deliberate collaboration across the ecosystem, he said: “We have created the building blocks for talent, innovation and industry growth. I ask the industry to generously offer internships, hire from these programmes, co-design curricula, use the resident experts in the space labs and leverage the IN-SPACe Tech Centre fully. Invest in each other. Collaborate deliberately.”
An open ecosystem for the world
Underscoring India’s expanding role in the global space economy, Dr Goenka struck an outward-looking note. “The world is watching and increasingly, the world is trusting. India’s ambition is Make in India for the world. We are not building a closed ecosystem; we are building an open, capable and trusted one. Let us build, and build together, for the world,” he added.
Sustainability and global partnerships take focus
Sustainability and international collaboration emerged as recurring threads across Day 2 sessions. In a video address, UNOOSA Director Ms Aarti Holla-Maini stressed responsible space practices to preserve long-term access to the space environment.
Luxembourg Ambassador His Excellency Christian Biever reaffirmed his country’s commitment to deepening ties with India across telecommunications, lunar exploration and space resource utilisation, citing a 2022 MoU as the foundation of growing bilateral cooperation.
New platforms and reports launched at the India Space Congress 2026
The day also saw the launch of the Indian Space Industry E-Catalogue, India’s first digital repository of space-sector capabilities, developed by SIA-India and powered by Hughes Systique, aggregating more than 200 verified companies across nearly 20 domains. SIA-India additionally released two strategic reports: one on on-orbit servicing and refuelling with OrbitAID, and another on space-based compute infrastructure with TakeMe2Space.
