India, April 16 -- Fourth country to achieve a soft-landing on the Moon. First to reach the lunar south pole. First to reach Mars orbit in its maiden attempt. This is where India shines in the deep, dark space. The race widened beyond the US, Europe and China, following India's roaring entry into the space club in a rather respectable response to global jeers. 

As the roughly $350 Bn global space industry stays the course to exceed $1 Tn by 2040, the world's fourth-largest economy gravitates towards a higher trajectory, powered by its flock of deeptech startups.  

What wooed the private players was the reforms in the Indian Space Policy 2023 that broke down the barriers, catalysing investor attention. And, Indian spacetec...