ISRO Budget 2024-25 ,Boost for India's Space and Nuclear Ambitions

Space News ,India :- In the latest interim Budget for 2024-25, the Department of Space in India has secured a substantial increase of nearly ₹2,000 crore, reaching a total allocation of ₹13,042.75 crore. This marks a notable rise from the previous fiscal year's revised estimate of ₹11,070.07 crore. The surge in funding is particularly evident in space technology, with the allocation jumping from ₹8,180 crore in 2023-24 to ₹10,087 crore in the current fiscal year.

Contrastingly, the Department of Atomic Energy is facing a slight reduction in its budget estimates, standing at ₹24,968.98 crore for 2024-25, down from ₹25,078.49 crore in the preceding year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set ambitious targets for the Department of Space, envisioning the construction of a 'Bharat Antariksh Station' by 2035 and the landing of an Indian astronaut on the moon by 2040.

In the realm of atomic energy, the Department has been allocated ₹36,159.93 crore in the interim Budget, a marginal decrease from ₹36,905.45 crore in 2023-24. Of this total allotment, ₹15,908.79 crore has been designated for capital expenditure, earmarked for power projects, atomic energy agencies, and research. A significant portion of this capital expenditure will be directed towards repaying loans for power projects.

In alignment with India's energy objectives, the government has granted approval for the construction of 10 indigenously developed nuclear power plants, each with a capacity of 700 MW, in a fleet mode across the country.