Auckland, July 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that New Zealand’s space sector has played a significant role in the success of India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan-3.

Addressing the diaspora in Auckland, PM Modi recalled how celebrations emerged among the Kiwi-Indian community after the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on moon’s South Pole.

“India’s Chandrayaan-3, when it landed on the Moon’s South Pole, the whole of New Zealand was dancing that day. And that day, we all felt proud. Now let me tell you one more thing to be proud of. New Zealand’s technology has also contributed to this success,” PM Modi told the gathering.

Launched by the ⁠Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the mission safely touched down near the Moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023. The historic achievement made India the fourth country to successfully land on the Moon, and the very first to reach the elusive southern polar region.

PM Modi stressed that space sector is the perfect example of how both India and New Zealand’s economy can contribute to each other’s growth.

New Zealand’s space company has worked with us on several occasions. We are working to take this cooperation further, said the Prime Minister.

India’s space economy is poised to grow from the current $8-9 billion to nearly $40-45 billion over the next decade, driven by policy reforms, growing private participation and a rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem. The transformation of India’s space sector reflects a larger change taking place across the country, where science and technology have moved beyond laboratories to become part of the national consciousness.

India’s achievements in missions such as Chandrayaan-3 and the upcoming Gaganyaan programme have established the country among the world’s leading space-faring nations.

The country has successfully integrated space-based applications into infrastructure planning, project monitoring, and public service delivery on a scale rarely seen elsewhere.

–IANS

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