India is working to establish its own space station by 2035, with the first module of the proposed Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS) already approved, ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan said on Sunday, reported.

Speaking at the third National Space Day celebrations in Ahmedabad, Narayanan said India's space programme has expanded significantly since its launch 64 years ago, with space-based applications now being used across more than 50 areas that directly benefit citizens.

"Today, we are celebrating the third National Space Day. The theme is very important: innovation, collaboration, and aspiring for global leadership in the space sector," Narayanan said.

He said India's space capabilities now support applications ranging from Earth observation and remote sensing to telecommunications, television broadcasting, tele-education, disaster management, navigation and real-time monitoring.

Narayanan said several major space programmes are currently under development, including Gaganyaan, India's human spaceflight mission, and the proposed Bharatiya Antariksha Station.

"Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, many programmes are in the pipeline. We are working on the Gaganyaan programme. We are also working towards establishing our own space station, the Bharatiya Antariksha Station," he said.

"The first module has already been approved, and we aim to establish the space station by 2035," the ISRO chief added.

The proposed space station would mark India's move towards sustained human activity in space, beyond its achievements in lunar exploration and satellite missions.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who also addressed the event, recalled the significance of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which successfully landed near the Moon's south polar region in August 2023.

He said National Space Day was announced to commemorate India's achievement of reaching the lunar south pole at the location designated as Shiv Shakti Point.

"Following the success of the Chandrayaan mission and the announcement by the Prime Minister, India will observe the day it set foot on the Moon's south pole-at the 'Shiv Shakti Point'-as National Space Day," Shekhawat said.

The third National Space Day celebrations were held in Ahmedabad under the aegis of the Space Applications Centre.

Shekhawat also highlighted the growing role of private companies in India's space sector, saying greater private participation had opened up new opportunities.

"Under the Prime Minister's leadership, the privatisation of the space science sector has opened doors to immense possibilities for India," he said.

According to the minister, greater private participation has complemented ISRO's work rather than reduced its responsibilities.

"ISRO's workload has not decreased; rather, its operational capacity has expanded manifold," Shekhawat said.

He added that activities including developing space applications, manufacturing satellites, producing payloads and launching satellites are now being completed more efficiently.

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