ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, V. Narayanan, on Friday called for closer collaboration between academia, industry and research institutions to help realise India’s ambitious space programme, including plans to establish an indigenous space station by 2035 and land Indians on the Moon by 2040.

Delivering the keynote address virtually at ISRO Academia Connect @ AU, organised by the Capacity Building Programme Office (CBPO), ISRO, in association with Andhra University College of Engineering (A), Mr. Narayanan said the century-old Andhra University had made significant contributions to the nation by producing scientists, academicians and administrators, making it an ideal partner for advancing research and innovation.

Highlighting India’s achievements in space, he said the country had become the first to achieve a successful soft landing near the Moon’s south pole through Chandrayaan-3 and added that work was under way on Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5. “There should not be any gap between space and the common man of this country,” he said, noting that ISRO’s satellites were supporting more than 50 sectors, including telecommunications, weather forecasting, disaster management, agriculture, fisheries, water resources and border security. He said India had also developed indigenous cryogenic technology after being denied access to it by other countries.

Calling for application-oriented research, Mr. Narayanan urged universities to move beyond academic publications and develop patents, technologies and products that benefit society. He expressed confidence that the collaboration between ISRO and Andhra University would create greater opportunities for research and internships while contributing to the country’s space programme.

ISRO Scientific Secretary M. Ganesh Pillai said the event at Andhra University was the fifth edition of ISRO’s nationwide Academic Connect initiative. “Every successful space mission is built upon decades of research, innovation and academic excellence,” he said, urging universities to undertake mission-oriented research leading to technologies, prototypes and products for future space missions.