India's scientific and technological prowess has been highlighted by several key developments in the last 24-48 hours, demonstrating the nation's commitment to innovation and self-reliance.

AstroSat Completes a Decade of Groundbreaking Space Exploration

India's first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory, AstroSat, marked its 10th anniversary on September 28, 2025. Launched aboard the PSLV-C30 on September 28, 2015, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, AstroSat was designed for a mission life of five years but has continued to provide valuable data and make significant discoveries for a full decade.

Capable of observing the universe simultaneously across ultraviolet (UV), visible, and high-energy X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, AstroSat has been instrumental in understanding various cosmic phenomena. Its achievements include solving a two-decade-old puzzle concerning a red giant star unusually bright in both UV and infrared light. The observatory has also detected far-UV photons from approximately 9 billion light-years away, revealed that the emission from a butterfly nebula extends three times more than previously known, and contributed to X-ray polarization studies, the discovery of fast-spinning black holes, and findings on X-ray emission from binary stars in the Milky Way. AstroSat is a collaborative effort involving major ISRO centers and Indian research institutes like TIFR, IIA, and IUCAA, with international contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the University of Leicester, UK.

India's Semiconductor Ambitions Driven by IITs and New Infrastructure

India is making bold strides towards achieving self-sufficiency in semiconductor technology, with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) positioned at the core of this national endeavor. The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), launched in 2021 with a budget of ₹76,000 crore, relies heavily on the talent pool nurtured by IITs, who are expected to lead in research, production, design, and testing to meet the industry's demand for 85,000 jobs in the coming years.

Further solidifying this commitment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for an upcoming Semiconductor and ESDM (Electronic System Design and Manufacturing) Park near Bhubaneswar. This park, established in collaboration with IIT Bhubaneswar, follows the Union Cabinet's approval in August of a compound semiconductor fab and a 3-D Glass packaging unit worth over ₹4,000 crore. These projects aim to position Odisha as a national hub in the emerging semiconductor landscape. The global semiconductor market is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030, with India targeting a market size of $45–50 billion by the end of 2025 and $100–110 billion by 2030.

Startup Conclave 2025 Boosts India's Innovation Ecosystem

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Startup Conclave 2025 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on September 28, 2025. This two-day event, organized by the Gujarat State Education Department, is a significant platform bringing together over 1,000 startups, 5,000 innovators, 100 industry mentors, and more than 50 venture capital funds.

The conclave aims to boost India's innovation drive and foster economic growth, showcasing 170+ startups from 20 states in high-growth sectors such as agriculture, defence, Artificial Intelligence (AI), clean technology, fintech, and healthcare. A key feature includes the signing of 50 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between startups, investors, and financial institutions, with expectations to unlock significant funding and strategic partnerships. The event reinforces India's position as a global startup hub and promotes the vision of an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India).