Spending on space research has hit an all time high under the Narendra Modi government. Union budget data showed that for F.Y. 2018-19 an amount of ₹ 11,538 crore or 0.46% of total budgetary expenditure was spent on space research. This is the highest amount ever spent in absolute terms, and even as a percentage of budgetary spending, this figure of 0.46% is the highest in much over a decade.
The results of this increased expenditure is bearing fruit, just yesterday, after keeping the nation guessing for an hour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India has catapulted into the elite club of four nations which have anti-satellite missile capability which can shoot down enemy satellites attempting to spy on India at a height of 300 kilometers in the Earth’s orbit. A demonstration of this missile capability was carried out by shooting down a live satellite. Russia, China and the US are the only other nations that have developed such anti-satellite technology.
Under the Modi-led NDA Government, India’s spending on space research almost tripled. India spent ₹ 11,538 crore in 2018-19, while in 2009-10 it spent only ₹ 4,163 crore. The chart below depicts an uneven pattern of expenditure on space research for years ending from 2010 to 2014. However, under the Modi regime, it shows a steady upswing since 2015 and tops out in 2019 at an impressive figure of over ₹ 11,500 crores. A steady rise in spending on space research as a percentage of total government spending can be noticed as well, having risen from 0.35% in 2015 to 0.46% in 2019. According to experts, the jump happened mainly due to an increase in capital expenditure, hence, this benefit is expected to be spread over a number of years.
This latest technology developed by India will act as a deterrent to China, that is constantly looking at ways to indulge in espionage against other nations, particularly India.
However, India’s space budget, as a percentage of GDP, is among the lowest compared to other space powers. India spends 0.06% of its GDP on space research and exploration, while the US and Russia spent 0.23% and 0.22% of their GDP respectively.
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