Dr. Somanath on India’s space innovation and deep tech future

Dr. S Somanath, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, delivering a keynote at the deep tech VC firm Speciale Invest’s annual summit in Chennai on Nov. 3.News, views, and conversations with founders, investors, industry leaders and other stakeholders building India’s deep tech and climate tech ecosystems.In this episode I bring you a lightly edited version of a speech made by Dr. S. Somanath, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Dr. Somanath was speaking at the VC firm Speciale Invest’s annual deep tech summit, in Chennai on Nov. 3.Listen to the episodeIn his talk, Dr. Somanath outlines his views on India’s nascent but fast evolving deep tech ecosystem, drawing from his transformative tenure at the helm of the nation’s space programme. He reflects on ISRO’s journey from a closed-door organization to an enabler of private space enterprises, catalyzed by the landmark space sector reforms in India in recent years.Dr. Somanath discusses India’s ambitious goal to grow its share of the global space economy from 2 percent to 10 percent, tapping the space applications opportunities in critical deep tech domains including AI, biotechnology, quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, and semiconductor production.He addresses the scaling challenges faced by deep tech startups, emphasizing the crucial role of government as an anchor customer, the need for patient capital from investors, and regulatory reforms that can unlock growth. With India’s youth population and vast untapped markets, Dr. Somanath presents a vision where indigenous capability development, academic-industry collaboration, and strategic policy interventions can position India as a global deep tech powerhouse.Dr. S Somanathhttps://www.isro.gov.in/DrS_Somanath.htmlSpeciale Investhttps://www.specialeinvest.com/about