Union Budget 2026: push for technology, planetary science in space programme
The Hindu
Budget 2026 highlights increased investment in technology and planetary science, signaling growth for India's space programme and ISRO initiatives.
The total budget allocation for the Department of Space has seen a marginal increase compared to 2026-2027 but a double-digit jump compared to actual revised spending.
Importantly, while the allocation of ₹13,705.63 crore represents a modest growth of 2.16% from 2025-2026, there is a more significant increase of 10.1% over the revised spending figure of ₹12,448.60 crore, suggesting that while the government is increasing funding, the Department of Space has once again under-utilised its budget in the current year by around ₹970 crore.
Union Budget 2026 LIVE
The split between operational costs and investment in infrastructure and missions has stayed relatively balanced, though capital expenditure is seeing higher growth. The capital investment of ₹6,375.92 crore, around 46% of the allocation, includes the cost of building new satellites, launch vehicles, and infrastructure.
Capital expenditure is projected to grow by 20% compared to the revised estimates of 2025-26, of ₹5,309.87 crore, signalling a renewed push for hardware and mission development in the coming year.
The bulk of the funding is directed towards specific technical projects rather than general administration. Space technology has received the largest share at ₹10,397.06 crore. This fund will support various Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) centres and critical projects like launch vehicles and satellites.
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