Aadi Space founder and CEO Jayram A. Deshpande attended the India Space Congress 2026, held June 15–17 at Le Méridien, New Delhi, joining government officials, industry leaders, investors, and innovators from across the global space sector.

India has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing space economies, driven by the success of ISRO, a thriving private-sector ecosystem, and government initiatives aimed at accelerating commercial participation in space. The visit also comes at a time when the India–U.S. strategic partnership is expanding rapidly across critical technology domains, including space, defense, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing. Aadi Space’s participation reflects its commitment to advancing next-generation space infrastructure and strengthening partnerships that support autonomous space operations, in-space mobility, and commercial space innovation.

We held a series of productive meetings with prospective partners and customers over the course of the Congress. Key observations from our CEO:

1. Space is now viewed as an economic sector, not a science project. India is targeting significant growth of its domestic space economy, with policymakers and industry leaders focused on commercialization, private investment, and export opportunities — sustainable businesses rather than isolated technology demonstrations.
2. Private companies are no longer an add-on to ISRO. A recurring theme was enabling private industry through regulatory reform, infrastructure access, funding mechanisms, and international collaboration. Growth is expected to come from startups and private operators scaling globally.
3. Space security has become a first-order priority. Military and strategic leaders emphasized that future national security will depend heavily on space assets, with discussions centered on resilient infrastructure, dual-use technologies, and space situational awareness.
4. International partnerships are accelerating. With representatives from dozens of countries in attendance, the focus was on commercial partnerships rather than traditional government-to-government arrangements, with India positioning itself as a cost-effective partner for global markets.
5. AI is moving into the core of the space stack. AI-driven analytics, autonomous operations, satellite data exploitation, and intelligent mission management were repeatedly highlighted as growth areas, pointing toward software-defined and AI-assisted space operations.
6. Ground infrastructure is becoming strategically important. Satellite connectivity, resilient communications networks, mission operations infrastructure, and data distribution platforms received substantial attention — value is created not only in orbit but also on the ground.
7. The next frontier is beyond satellites. In-space manufacturing, microgravity research, quantum technologies, and circular space economy models are increasingly part of long-term strategic planning.

Pictured: Jayram A. Deshpande with Dr. Subba Rao Pavuluri, President, SIA-India, at the India Space Congress 2026.