New Delhi: At the India International Space Conclave (IISC 2025) organised by the Indian Space Association (ISpA), former ISRO Chairman and member of the Space Commission AS Kiran Kumar said, “You get recognized only when you build your competence and not just claim the competence. Today, US or NASA are ready to work with us in a collaborative manner only because India has built its own technological capability. If we look at space as a common heritage, then more and more cooperation is required to prevent any one country from dominating the use of space. You will be part of that dialogue only if you demonstrate your competence, because if you don’t want others to dominate you, you should make sure that you have enough competence.”

ISpA is an industry body formed to voice the concerns and aspirations of the private companies working in the space domain from India. ISpA has undertaken policy advocacy towards positioning India as a leader in space. This was the fourth edition of the conclave, marking the foundation day of ISpA. Three Gaganyatris attended the conclave and outlined the benefits of human spaceflight. Viasat announced a partnership with BSNL to use the formers Velaris technology for supporting beyond line of sight drone operations.

Strengthening India’s Role in the Space Domain

Director General of ISpA. Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (retd.) said, “The discussion at this conclave reflects the expanding depth of India’s engagement across multiple domains of space. The insights shared from future exploration to launch vehicles, propulsion systems, sustainability and in-orbit technologies, highlight the direction in which our ecosystem is evolving. The growing collaboration we witnessed, including the Indo-Japanese session, showcases how international partnerships are strengthening India’s role in the space domain.” Over two days at The Lalit, there were high-impact panel discussions on the future of India’s activities in the space domain, leading up to a crewed landing on the Moon by 2040.