The Department of Space said on 26 April 2026 that Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh reviewed a plan to establish space laboratories in universities and colleges, with seven labs to be taken up in the first stage. The labs are meant to give students practical exposure to satellite systems, rocketry and mission design, so that the expanding space economy can draw on a larger pool of trained youth. The review followed a briefing by IN-SPACe Chairman Dr Pawan Goenka on the progress of space reforms and private participation. The release said private investment in the Indian space sector has crossed US$60 crore in five years after the sector was opened to non-government entities. The number of space startups has risen from single digits in 2019 to more than 400 by early 2026, working in launch vehicles, satellites, payloads, ground infrastructure, data services and in-orbit segments. Support measures include a ₹1,000 crore venture capital fund being operationalised with SIDBI for growth-stage startups, a ₹500 crore Technology Adoption Fund to turn early innovations into market-ready products, and seed grants of up to ₹1 crore for ideas and prototypes. Workforce building is already visible: 17 specialised training programmes have been completed and nearly 900 participants have been certified in satellite manufacturing, launch vehicle systems and space cybersecurity. Infrastructure support is being expanded through a privately led Earth-observation constellation under a public-private partnership model, a shared satellite-bus platform for startups, access to design, integration and testing facilities at the IN-SPACe Technical Centre in Ahmedabad, and technology-transfer work including the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle. The Department also highlighted partnerships across more than 45 countries, recent cooperation with Singapore and the UAE, over 1,000 applications received by IN-SPACe, and 129 authorisations granted.