Shillong will play a pivotal role in the development of space technology in the North East, ‘G20 sherpa’ Amitabh Kant said here today at the start of the 4th Space Economy Leaders Meeting (SELM), which is part of the myriad G20 events being held in the country.
Kant, who was the second CEO of NITI Aayog, was speaking to reporters on the sideline of the precursor event. He said that the central government has created a policy framework that will give a massive impetus to startups to drive the space sector in India.
According to him, 500 startups have registered in the space sector alone and the government is prepared to give them full support so that India, through them, can lead the space sector.
Meanwhile, he said that this precursor event will look at constructive areas of how to use the space economy for the development of countries, such as the possibilities of manufacturing in space and use of energy found in space as a form of renewable energy.
“We will also be looking at space mining. All these are important areas and different countries are at different stages of development,” Kant said. “In India we have very vast progress and a space policy has recently come out which will allow the startups to work in the space sector.”
Given how uncharted space is and the vast costs involved in all things to do with it, international collaboration is often necessary and Kant said that rules, regulations and policies need to be formulated by countries working together.
“We are guiding the discussion since ISRO, as a space leader of India, has to play an important role in this whole movement,” he added.
