India's Space Sector Adds $60 Billion to GDP

This screen grab made from video footage from ISRO via AFPTV taken on July 14, 2023 shows an Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, an island off the coast of southern Andhra Pradesh state. AFP
This screen grab made from video footage from ISRO via AFPTV taken on July 14, 2023 shows an Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, an island off the coast of southern Andhra Pradesh state. AFP
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India's Space Sector Adds $60 Billion to GDP

This screen grab made from video footage from ISRO via AFPTV taken on July 14, 2023 shows an Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, an island off the coast of southern Andhra Pradesh state. AFP
This screen grab made from video footage from ISRO via AFPTV taken on July 14, 2023 shows an Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, an island off the coast of southern Andhra Pradesh state. AFP

The Indian space sector has in the last 10 years contributed $60 billion to GDP, as well as generated 4.7 million jobs in the country, a report showed on Saturday.

The report by global consulting firm Novaspace, commissioned by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), was released by Union Minister of State for Space Jitendra Singh on the occasion of National Space Day.

It showed that in the last years, the country invested nearly $13 billion in the space sector.

Through direct, indirect, and induced benefits, the sector contributed $60 billion to the national GDP, according to India’s news channel, NDTV.

Steve Bochinger, affiliate executive adviser at Novaspace, said that from $3.8 billion in 2014, the sector's estimated revenues increased to $6.3 billion in 2023.

Bochinger also noted that the Indian space sector generated 4.7 million jobs, and “directly employs 96,000 persons through the public and the private sector.”



Kuwait Seeks to Offer Flexible Incentives to Attract Foreign Investments

Kuwait City (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)
Kuwait City (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)
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Kuwait Seeks to Offer Flexible Incentives to Attract Foreign Investments

Kuwait City (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)
Kuwait City (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)

Mohammad Yaqoub, Assistant Director General for Business Development at Kuwait’s Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), announced that Kuwait is actively working to boost investments in emerging sectors such as the management of government facilities, hospitals, and ports, including Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port.

He added that his country is collaborating with Saudi Arabia on joint projects, notably the development of a railway linking the two nations.

Speaking at the 28th Annual Global Investment Conference in Riyadh, Yaqoub highlighted the 650-kilometer railway project, which is expected to cut travel time between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to under three hours. He clarified that this initiative is separate from the broader GCC railway network under development.

The official further emphasized Kuwait’s commitment to offering streamlined processes and incentives to attract foreign investment in critical sectors such as oil and gas, healthcare, education, and technology.

Since January 2015, the Gulf country has attracted cumulative foreign investments valued at approximately 1.7 billion Kuwaiti dinars ($5.8 billion). During the 2023–2024 fiscal year, KDIPA reported foreign investment inflows amounting to 206.9 million Kuwaiti dinars ($672 million).

Yaqoub stressed that KDIPA is focused on creating an investor-friendly environment by offering flexible incentives to attract international companies. He noted Saudi Arabia’s achievements in this area and highlighted his country’s efforts to provide comparable benefits to foreign investors.

He also expressed optimism about the potential for growth in foreign investments in Kuwait, emphasizing their role in advancing economic development in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Yaqoub also underscored the strong synergy between the Kuwaiti and Saudi markets, which he said will help accelerate economic progress across the region.