Arulmozhi Saravanan, Mudra entrepreneur whose thermoflasks PMO ordered via GeM, meets PM in Madurai

Prime Minister – You have shown courage in a new field. The most important thing is that you trusted the government’s word. My view has always been that whatever decisions we take, we must remain consistent in them, we must not keep changing them again and again, so that anyone who wants to take a risk can have confidence that, fine, if something goes wrong it will be because of my mistake, but no one will abandon me. And this was our effort - to create that trust.

CEO – We are India’s first Space Tech Unicorn. On July 18 we successfully launched India’s first private rocket, ejecting satellites. And this is just the beginning. Generally, we say this is just a warm‑up for Skyroot, it is only the start. By mid next year we will be doing one launch per month. And also, thanks to you sir for opening up the sector. Three factories have already been built. We already have the capacity for one rocket per month. And this is just the beginning. Our future dream is to do one launch per week and several launches per day.

CEO – We have made an engine that comes among the most modern engines in the world. Sir, we have prepared it, and its testing is ongoing.

Prime Minister – Do they have confidence, the investors?

CEO – Sir, after Skyroot’s first launch, their confidence has increased.

Prime Minister – Good. That route is helping you?

CEO – It is helping a lot.

Prime Minister – Now the world must be searching for India’s startups, wondering who is behind this. Because when there is a breakthrough, immediately people’s attention goes there.

CEO – I think, after the space industry opened up, we have seen a very good trend. Our citizens who are in the US and Europe want to come back and work with us.

Prime Minister – We have to connect many people, and as Mehta said, now people who had gone abroad are coming back. I believe we must create such an aura that people all over the world feel that if they want to build their life, they should come to Hindustan. Join some Indian startup. Join some Indian space agency. I firmly believe that the entire talent pool, like a magnet, because of you we can attract, and that can become a very great strength for us.

CEO – Our vision is that in the next 18 months we want to set up a global ground station network.

CEO – We make the engines that satellites use to move from one place to another in space, for 5 years or 15 years. Globally we have received very good traction. And sir, your effort has been very important in this too, because now Indian companies have government support for exporting.

Prime Minister – In cost we are very competitive, in talent there is no question at all, and the risk‑taking capacity of our people is anyway greater. And because of that we can very quickly make our place.

CEO – This robotic spacecraft will go to space, physically capture the dead satellite and remove it from orbit.

CEO – We are the first Indian company working on docking and refueling technologies, with the vision of establishing a fuel station in space.

CEO – My name is Antariksh, my co‑founder Monika is also here. Sir, we are India’s first space pharma startup. We are making satellites that can go to space, manufacture pharmaceuticals there, and bring them back from space.

Prime Minister – Your name is Antariksh - was your family already in this field?

CEO – No sir, my mother gave me this name.

CEO – After one launch, in the last one month we have received eight launch contracts.

Prime Minister – Good, good.

CEO – And mostly they are international.

CEO – Sir, right now we are planned to launch this innovation with 1 million farmers.

CEO – Sir, this is for you, so that a memory will remain.

Prime Minister – Wonderful.

CEO – This opening, which you did for the private sector, through that the private satellites are now showing the beauty of India.