India’s Moon Mission Vision: “Viksit Bharat 2047” to be Announced from Lunar Surface

At the National Space Day celebrations held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh delivered a landmark address blending science, poetry, realism, and futuristic vision. He declared that by 2040, an Indian astronaut will announce ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ from the surface of the Moon, symbolizing India’s arrival as a global space power and sending a message across the universe that the nation has come of age.

Space as a Driver of National Growth

Dr. Singh underlined that India’s space programme has always been more than the pursuit of rockets and satellites—it has been about empowering people, improving livelihoods, and shaping a sustainable future. He recalled the visionary call made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 to expand the use of space technology in governance, which led to the first Mega User Meet in 2015.

Reflecting on progress since then, the Minister pointed out that the recently concluded National Meet 2.0, held a decade later, was preceded by nearly 300 interactions with user departments and produced close to 90 technical documents spanning over 5,000 pages. Together, they form the foundation of a 15-year space roadmap that envisions launching over 100 satellites, with 70 percent being small satellites developed through a government-private sector partnership model.

The Transformative Phase of India’s Space Programme

According to Dr. Singh, India’s space programme has entered a transformative phase, moving beyond symbolic firsts to become a key contributor to scientific research, technological innovation, and national welfare. The new roadmap emphasizes leveraging space technology to ensure food and water security, disaster preparedness, climate resilience, environmental sustainability, and inclusive development.

He highlighted the emergence of India’s private space ecosystem, where hundreds of start-ups are now engaged in developing cutting-edge technologies with applications in interplanetary exploration as well as in everyday governance, from land mapping and smart city planning to infrastructure monitoring and disaster management.

Honouring Innovation and Young Talent

At the event, Dr. Singh presented awards to winners of the Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon 2025 and the ISRO Robotics Challenge – URSC 2025 (IRoC-U 2025).

• The Hackathon, which saw participation from 61,000 students and 8,744 teams, challenged innovators in fields such as geospatial technologies, AI/ML applications, and space science. The finale, held in early August, was a 30-hour marathon session where the top 30 teams showcased pioneering solutions, with three teams ultimately crowned winners.

• The Robotics Challenge, themed “Fly Me on Mars”, tasked student innovators with designing autonomous aerial navigation systems for GPS-denied Martian environments. These efforts not only cultivate talent but also feed directly into India’s long-term interplanetary ambitions.

Dr. Singh praised the ingenuity of the young participants, calling them “architects of India’s space future”.

Astronauts and Upcoming ISRO Missions

The programme was attended by the four astronauts undergoing training for India’s first human spaceflight, Gaganyaan — Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. Their presence symbolized the human face of India’s expanding space ambitions.

Dr. V. Narayanan, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, outlined the Human Space Flight Programme and provided updates on preparations for Gaganyaan. He emphasized that these missions will position India at the forefront of global human space exploration.

Upcoming ISRO milestones highlighted included:

• 2025 – Launch of NavIC followed by the human-robot mission Vayumitra.

• 2027 – India’s first human spaceflight under Gaganyaan.

• 2028 – Launch of Chandramitra, followed by Chandrayaan-4.

• 2030s – A mission to Venus and the establishment of the Bharat Antariksh Station by 2035.

• 2040 – An Indian astronaut’s lunar landing, with the symbolic announcement of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Space Day: A Celebration of Legacy and Future

The theme of National Space Day 2025, “Aryabhatta to Gaganyaan: Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities”, encapsulated India’s unique blend of traditional knowledge and modern innovation. Dr. Singh stressed that India is no longer a follower in global space science—other nations now look to India as a value-adding partner in their missions.

He further noted that experiments conducted by Indian astronauts in fields like biotechnology, life sciences, and material research will yield benefits not only for India but also for humanity at large.

Conclusion

Dr. Singh concluded with a visionary note: “National Space Day is a reminder that India’s achievements in space are not an end in themselves but a stepping stone to a larger vision—where science, innovation, and public welfare come together to build the nation’s future.”

With a roadmap leading to human presence on the Moon by 2040 and the symbolic declaration of Viksit Bharat 2047, India’s space programme is charting a course that intertwines technological advancement, global leadership, and inclusive national development.