Indian-Crewed Lunar Landing By 2040: Union Minister Jitendra Singh Says Common Citizens Partners In India's Scientific Journey
India has transformed into a global defence exporter and space innovator, aiming for a crewed lunar landing by 2040, says Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh.
By Anubha Jain
Published : June 14, 2026 at 8:40 PM IST
In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat's Anubha Jain during the two-day Research, Industry, Start-up and Entrepreneurship (RISE) Conclave 2026 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted India’s transformation from a major defence importer to a global exporter. Sharing insights on the country’s rapid strides in science, technology, and defence, Dr Singh said the central government was working on ambitious goals for India’s space program, including an Indian-crewed lunar landing by 2040.
Excerpts:
ETV Bharat (ETB): The Department of Science And Technology (DST) has launched many new programs recently, including industry-academia partnerships and tech investments. What do you think is India’s biggest achievement in science innovation so far, and how will we measure success in the next few years?
Dr Jitendra Singh (JS): I believe one of the biggest achievements of the past decade has been the way science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship have become integral to India's national development agenda. Much of the credit for this transformation goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has consistently placed science, technology, research, and start-ups at the centre of policymaking and nation-building.
Whether it is Digital India, digital health initiatives, space reforms, landmark missions, or emerging technology programmes, almost every major national initiative today rests on a strong scientific and technological foundation. Science is no longer confined to laboratories; it has become part of mainstream governance and public discourse. A particularly significant achievement has been connecting the common citizen to India's scientific and technological journey.
Missions such as Chandrayaan-3 and Gaganyaan have generated a sense of pride and participation across the country. People today feel a greater sense of ownership in India's technological progress, reflected in the growing interest among students, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and ordinary citizens in fields such as space technology, AI, biotechnology, and innovation. We are fully aligned with the timelines laid out by the Prime Minister. Our objective is to establish the Bharatiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and to achieve an Indian-crewed lunar landing by 2040.
This growing public engagement was also evident during Operation Sindoor, which highlighted how modern warfare increasingly relies on advanced technologies rather than direct physical confrontation alone. From atomic energy and space-based capabilities to strategic systems, the operation demonstrated India's technological strength and reinforced confidence in our indigenous capabilities. It showcased to both our citizens and the international community that India possesses the scientific and technological expertise needed to address complex national security challenges.
As a result, indigenous defence equipment and technology platforms developed in India are gaining increasing recognition globally, with several countries showing interest in procuring Indian-made systems. This reflects India's emergence as a technologically capable, self-reliant nation and a credible provider of advanced solutions.
From achievements in space exploration to advances in digital public infrastructure and indigenous technologies, India has established itself as a nation capable of delivering world-class innovation. Most importantly, the common citizen now recognises that scientific progress is not an abstract concept; it is directly linked to national security, economic growth, quality of life, and India's standing in the world. To me, that is one of the most meaningful achievements of India's science and innovation ecosystem.
ETB: With ambitious goals like Gaganyaan and a Moon landing, how is the government balancing investments amid ISRO’s recent setbacks? What benchmarks should Indians use to judge if ISRO is on track to lead globally in the next decade?
JS: I would view such instances not as setbacks, but as learning experiences. Every major space programme in the world has encountered challenges along the way, and these are often essential for strengthening future missions. What is important is how quickly and effectively lessons are absorbed and applied.
If you look at India's overall record, our success rate in space missions compares very favourably with that of leading space-faring nations. In fact, India achieved several milestones, such as reaching Mars on its very first attempt, which many advanced countries could not accomplish. This reflects not only technological capability and statistical record, but also exceptional efficiency and innovation.
As far as the PSLV is concerned, certain technical issues were identified and addressed. The necessary corrective measures have already been taken, and I am confident that the programme will soon be back on track, continuing its long and distinguished record of success.
We have 18 launches planned this year, many of them involving private-sector participation, and that momentum remains unchanged. Those who are part of the space ecosystem -scientists, industry partners, and investors - understand that occasional setbacks are part of the process. They see them as learning experiences rather than failures. Therefore, the commitment to India's space journey remains as strong as ever.
ETB: With growing private space participation, what are the government’s top priorities to expand India’s commercial space economy?
JS: The transformation began about five years ago when the space sector was opened up to private participation. Since then, India’s space ecosystem has expanded rapidly, growing from just a handful of start-ups to more than 400 today. We started with a space economy of about $9 billion, and the scale of ascent has been so remarkable that the sector is now projected to grow into a $40–45 billion economic powerhouse over the next decade. This means that India's space programme is no longer confined to scientific achievement alone; it is emerging as a major driver of economic growth and innovation.
On one hand, landmark missions such as Chandrayaan-3, and several upcoming launches including Gaganyaan have established India as one of the world's leading space-faring nations. However, what often goes unnoticed is that India is perhaps among the few countries that have successfully leveraged space technology on a large scale for infrastructure development and governance. Initiatives such as PM Gati Shakti, SVAMITVA, and AMRUT are powered by geospatial and satellite technologies, enabling better planning, real-time monitoring, improved transparency, and more efficient implementation of development projects. In this sense, India is not only excelling in space exploration but also harnessing space technology to transform governance and nation-building.
Insights from RISE Conclave
During the inaugural session of the RISE conclave, the Minister said in his keynote address that the true strength of India’s innovation ecosystem lies in the convergence of Research, Innovation, Start-ups and Entrepreneurship (RISE).
“The long-term growth of start-ups depends on a strong foundation of research, innovation, technological advancement and industry-academia collaboration,” he said.
Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision that catalysed the start-up movement in 2015, Dr Singh noted that India has since emerged as the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem, with over 2.3 lakh start-ups generating nearly 25 lakh jobs. Significantly, almost half of these start-ups are located in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, reflecting the widening reach of innovation across the country, he added.
Highlighting India’s growing research capabilities, he said the country has moved from seventh to third place globally in PhD output and is aspiring to reach the second position. He also pointed to India's rising research impact, noting that Indian publications accounted for nearly 10 per cent of global citations in a 2025 analysis.
Singh further added that India's value addition and economic growth by 2047 will come from sectors that remain relatively underexplored, including space, coastal resources, the Himalayan bioeconomy, and aromatics.
Dr N. Kalaiselvi, Secretary, DSIR and Director General, CSIR, said that the work being carried out at CSIR–Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur, where technologies have been developed for the indigenous cultivation of crops such as asafoetida (hing), while efforts are also underway to develop climate-resilient varieties of tulips and other high-value floriculture products.
“Innovations involving monk fruit, peonies, and other Himalayan biodiversity resources are creating new opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs. Through collaborations between CSIR and other research institutions, several technologies are being developed to make these crops more sustainable, climate-resilient, commercially viable, and available throughout the year, thereby unlocking the economic potential of region-specific resources,” he said.
Dr Narayanan highlighted the rapid growth of India's space ecosystem, noting that by 2026, over 120 major companies had invested nearly USD 350 billion in the sector. He emphasised the government's support through inter-agency collaborations, including ISRO's partnerships with the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) on lunar technologies, the Sree Chitra Institute on space medicine, and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) on microgravity experiments.
He noted that ISRO has so far carried out 105 launch missions and deployed 135 satellites, with significant contributions from CSIR and the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) across virtually every major mission. He also underscored the wider societal benefits of space technologies in communication, food security, disaster management, and national development.
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