At Paris Space Summit, India Urges Cooperation Over Confrontation
Speaking at the first International Space Summit in Paris, the Prime Minister called for a safe, peaceful and sustainable space domain and highlighted India's growing space ambitions.
Addressing the inaugural International Space Summit in Paris through video conferencing, the Prime Minister thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for the invitation and for initiating the gathering. He said space, which has inspired human imagination for centuries, now shapes daily life on Earth — influencing climate, agriculture, oceans and communities.
With orbits growing more crowded, technologies more capable and the number of actors increasing, the Prime Minister said choices must be clear: cooperation over confrontation, sustainability over short-term gain, and inclusion over exclusion.
He said India's approach draws on the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — One Earth, One Family, One Future — and that this spirit should extend beyond the planet. India supports a safe, secure, peaceful and sustainable space domain rooted in international law, dialogue and multilateral cooperation, with scientific data serving the common good through openness and integrity.
Highlighting India's space programme, he said ISRO has earned global admiration for its excellence and cost-effective missions, with its capabilities serving farmers, fishermen, weather forecasting, disaster management and navigation. More than 430 satellites from 34 countries have been launched aboard Indian rockets, reflecting a reputation built by generations of scientists, engineers and technicians.
The Prime Minister noted that Chandrayaan-3 made India the first nation to land near the lunar south pole, while Aditya-L1 is studying the Sun. An Indian visited the International Space Station last year, and the country aims to establish an Indian space station by 2035 and send an Indian to the Moon by 2040, with benefits intended for all humanity.
He also pointed to the rapid growth of India's private space sector, saying the energy of enterprise is joining ISRO's excellence. France, he added, has been a trusted partner since the Indian space programme began at Thumba in the 1960s, and cooperation now spans Earth observation and advanced technologies. He invited France and the world to be co-travellers in India's next space frontier, urging the summit to signal that space will be explored, innovated and protected together for all humanity and future generations.