New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for greater international cooperation to ensure that outer space remains safe, secure, peaceful and sustainable, saying humanity must choose “cooperation over confrontation” as space activity expands.
Addressing the first International Space Summit in Paris through video conference, Modi thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for convening the landmark gathering and inviting India to participate.
Modi said space technology has moved far beyond scientific exploration and now plays a crucial role in everyday life, influencing climate monitoring, agriculture, ocean studies, navigation and disaster management.
With space becoming increasingly crowded and technologies growing more powerful, the Prime Minister stressed the need for global rules and partnerships focused on long-term sustainability.
“Our choices must be clear: cooperation over confrontation, sustainability over short-term gain, and inclusion over exclusion,” Modi said.
Linking India’s approach to the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, he said India supports a space domain anchored in international law, dialogue and multilateral cooperation.
He also called for greater openness in scientific research, saying space-related scientific data should serve the common good and be shared with integrity.
Modi highlighted the contribution of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to weather forecasting, disaster management and navigation, noting that satellite applications directly benefit farmers, fishermen and communities on the ground.
He said more than 430 payloads from 34 countries have been launched aboard Indian rockets, underlining the growing global relevance of India’s space capabilities.
The Prime Minister also cited India’s major space achievements, including the Aditya-L1 mission, the visit of an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station and the Chandrayaan-3 landing near the lunar south pole.
Looking ahead, Modi said India plans to establish an indigenous space station by 2035 and send an Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
He said India’s private space sector is also expanding rapidly, with startups increasingly working alongside ISRO and other established institutions.
Modi highlighted France’s longstanding role as a trusted partner in India’s space journey, recalling cooperation dating back to the early years of India’s space programme at Thumba in the 1960s.
He invited France and other countries to participate in India’s upcoming space missions.
Concluding his address, Modi urged countries to make the Paris summit a platform for collective action, saying the world must “explore together, innovate together and protect space together” for present and future generations.
