India must excel in space sector, says Former ISRO Chief at NITK Convocation

India must excel in space sector, says Former ISRO Chief at NITK Convocation

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, November 24, 2024: A S Kiran Kumar, Space Commission member and former chairman of ISRO, urged young technocrats to dedicate themselves to propelling India to a position of global parity in the space sector. He was addressing the 22nd undergraduate convocation of the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, on Saturday.

Emphasizing the significance of innovation and hard work, Mr. Kumar said, “We need to be competent and one among equals in the world. This can only happen if you put your heart and sweat into working for our country. I am confident each of you will meet the expectations placed upon you.”

Highlighting space as the "fourth frontier" beyond land, ocean, and air, he noted the growing significance of the space domain as a multi-billion-dollar economy. “If India captures a significant portion of this pie, it will bring immense economic advantage. The government has already implemented significant changes in space policy, inviting entrepreneurs, academia, and others to contribute to this growth,” he added.

Mr. Kumar also pointed out India’s demographic advantage, with an average age of 27 years, calling on graduates to channel their knowledge and skills to solve national challenges. “Your growth should go hand-in-hand with the growth of the country,” he said.

The convocation saw 1,002 students receiving certificates for completing their B.Tech and other undergraduate programs. Several students were honored with gold medals for their academic excellence, including N.A. Shreesha, R. Sudhanva, Vikash Keshavamurthy Bhat, S. Varun, Bhimaraddy B. Yarabandi, Swetha Mary Thomas, Varun Tiwari, Satvik R. Kashyap, and Sampathkumar Tarun. In the morning session for postgraduates, gold medals were awarded to Kommineni Surya, Sagarika V. Shamblon, Sindam Snikitha, S.S. Sujay, K. Navaneetha, N.G. Kala, S. Shafiq Ahmed, Yadav Pranit Prakash, K.R. Srikrishna Setty, and Jennifer James.