Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh interacting with M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, at a conclave held in Chennai on Saturday. | Photo credit: R. Ravindran
The Indian Space Research Organization has not lost confidence due to the recent back-to-back malfunctions of the Polar Satellite (PSLV) and may resume launches from June or July, Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said on Saturday. “We are doing preliminary rounds. If everything goes according to our timeline, (the launch) could be in June or July,” he told reporters after inaugurating the two-day Research, Industry, Startups and Entrepreneurship 2026 conclave organized by the Center for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Chennai. Gaganyaan, ISRO’s first manned space mission, was scheduled for 2027 and would go ahead as planned, he said. The organization was in the final stages of test flights with the humanoid robot Vyommitra on board. This could happen by the end of the year, he added. “We have 18 launches in 2026. Not a single launch has been cancelled. Of these, we have six private parties and they have not withdrawn either,” said Dr. Singh. Speaking about the conclave, Dr. Singh said the Center has announced a ₹1,000,000 R&D fund to help fast-track entrepreneurs to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4. Similarly, shortly after moving into his new office, the Prime Minister announced a ₹10,000 crore fund to support deep tech start-ups. CSIR also had relaxed conditions for technology start-ups, which had to survive for three years before qualifying for government financial support. Tamil Nadu, he noted, has two vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems in Chennai and Coimbatore. He said the Center will coordinate with the Tamil Nadu government and the private sector to ensure support for the start-up ecosystem. Earlier, at the inaugural function, Dr. Singh said the ministry has moved away from working in silos and has adopted a more integrated approach of working in tandem with industry and academia. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, said there are ample opportunities for start-ups in climate change related research, services, sustainability and disaster mitigation. The government, he said, had a lot of data and could enable startups to quickly deliver various services. As examples, he said there are opportunities for hyper-local weather forecasting, precision agriculture, carbon accounting tools or user-specific services on many things related to climate change. At the CSIR event, he signed MoUs with academic institutions and their incubation centers to enhance collaboration. Among those present at the inauguration were N. Kalaiselvi, Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and Director General, CSIR, K. Ramesha, Director, CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute, N. Anandavalli, Director, CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Institute, P. Thanikaivelan, Director, CSIR-Central, CSIR, CSIR Seather Research Institute, H.
Published – 14 Feb 2026 22:55 IST