Chennai, Sep 19 (PTI) The Indian space sector is something that everyone should watch out for in the coming days as IIT-Madras incubated rocket factory is into making 3D printed rocket engines, Union Minister for Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan said on Monday.

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The Minister, who visited various facilities on the campus of IIT-M and interacted with the faculty and students, said, "Like India's prolific IT sector, the space sector is something that everybody should watch out for."

"Visited the Rocket Factory of @AgnikulCosmos, a start-up incubated by @iitmadras. It is India's first-ever factory to manufacture 3D-printed rocket engines," he tweeted.

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The rocket factory is building launch-vehicles capable of taking micro and nano-satellites for commercial space missions, he said. "By opening up our space sector, PM @narendramodi has ensured our talented youth and start-ups expand their horizons and touch new skies of success," he said in another tweet.

Launching IIT-Madras Strategic Plan 2021-27 and a slew of initiatives towards academic excellence and nation-building, Dharmendra Pradhan said India has a culture of giving back to society and India innovates for the betterment of society.

"Due to the technical strength of IIT-Madras, India will be rolling out indigenous 5G by the end of 2023," he said.

"The 5G testbed at @iitm_respark is preparing solid ground for India to play a leading role in shaping the future of telecom. Glad to have a first-hand experience of the 5G testbed demonstration," he tweeted.

India is fast evolving as a digital-first economy. A ‘Made in India, For the World' 5G would not only accentuate India's growth story, but would also usher in new possibilities for other emerging economies, and also establish India as a dynamic global leader in modern technologies, he said.

The Minister further said, "The talent pool at the IITs gives me a lot of confidence. Our students need to rekindle their inner strengths, re-ignite their ‘Chetna'. They have to think big, drive social change and become job-providers rather than job-seekers." Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to adopt ‘Panch Pran' for making India a developed nation by 2047, he said institutes like IIT-Madras have a major role in making India a $ 5 trillion economy and fulfilling the vision of Viksit Bharat. "The next 25 years is very important for all of us. While entering the Amrit kaal, we leapfrogged ahead of a country which colonised us. India is evolving at an unprecedented pace. A fast-growing India will have huge domestic requirements which have to be fulfilled by our IITs," he said.

He called upon IIT Madras to take a pledge to celebrate a day on the milestones of students in entrepreneurship, file patents for public good and facilitate ease-of-living for the poorest. Professor V Kamakoti, Prof Mahesh Panchagnula, Prof A Ramesh and Prof Abhijit Deshpande interacted with the Minister who also inaugurated the indigenous GDI engine developed by IIT-Madras and supported by TVS Motor Company and a low-cost vegetable cart incubated at IIT-M. The Minister presented diploma certificates to select students of BSc program in Data Science on the occasion.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)