BENGALURU: Ajay Dharam Singh, Minister for Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology, on Tuesday said a meeting with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V Narayanan and Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will take place this month to explore opportunities for deeper space collaborations.
Singh said there was considerable scope to further strengthen cooperation between ISRO and the State government in science, technology and emerging innovation sectors. Singh had visited the ISRO head office to congratulate the team for the success of the GSLV-F17-EOS-05. He also facilitated a telephonic conversation between the CM and Narayanan.
“ISRO’s achievement is a matter of pride. The State Government is fully committed to supporting the growth of space science, research, SpaceTech, DeepTech, startups and emerging technologies in Karnataka,” Singh said.
Earlier in the day, speaking at the High-Level Roundtable on Space, Singh said the State wants industries and innovators to engage from the early stages and contribute ideas, technologies and partnerships to shape the State’s deep-tech ecosystem. He used the platform to invite global technology companies, startups, investors and researchers to partner with the State government in building Karnataka’s proposed Quantum City as a globally competitive hub for research, innovation and industry collaboration.
Referring to the Karnataka Space Technology Policy 2025–30, he said the State aims to capture 50% of India’s space market and 5% of the global market by 2033, attract USD 3 billion in investments and train 50,000 professionals.
The Minister also advocated greater use of satellite imagery, drones, GIS, remote sensing and AI for groundwater management, mapping of tanks and lakes, irrigation asset management and project monitoring.
Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Science and Technology, N Manjula on Tuesday said, Karnataka's vision is not only to develop space technologies, but also to become a leading adopter of space-enabled solutions for societal impact. She said the State is holding brainstorming sessions on developing a constellation of satellites which will serve not just the needs of Karnataka but other states as well.
She said the government was looking at various sorts of partnerships for this. The State is also looking at the sectors of geospatial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, Earth observation and digital infrastructure that will drive the next phase of growth.
Speaking on the second day of the 9th edition of Bengaluru Space Expo 2026, she said the State launched the Karnataka Space Technology Policy 2025-30 as a strategic roadmap for building a globally competitive space economy.
She added that Karnataka has also set a target of attracting USD 3 billion in investments by 2034 through policy interventions, infrastructure creation and ecosystem development. Karnataka is also advancing plans for a dedicated Space Park and Space Manufacturing Cluster near Bengaluru.