July 19, 2026

The Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), ISRO, organised a first National Workshop on Microgravity Research at ISRO Headquarters, Bengaluru, on 15 July 2026 to provide a common platform to deliberate on sustainable microgravity research ecosystem in India. More than 270 delegates from academia, research laboratories, industry, startups, government organizations and ISRO Centres across the country participated in the workshop.

The workshop featured presentations on India's recent microgravity research activities, experiences and scientific outcomes from conducting experiments aboard the ISS during the Axiom-4 mission and the status and future opportunities under the Indian Microgravity Experiments (iMEx-2026) initiative. Two panel discussions addressed the themes of Building Research and Industrial Capabilities for microgravity research in India.

Secretary, Department of Space / Chairman, ISRO Dr. V. Narayanan inaugurated the workshop and emphasized the need to create a microgravity research ecosystem in India to harness the potential benefits of cutting-edge research in the domain of space bio-technology, physical sciences, materials & manufacturing, human research and space biology in microgravity conditions.

The workshop concluded with an interactive open session Chaired by Shri AS Kiran Kumar, Chairman, National Advisory Board for Microgravity Research in Indian Human Space Programme, reaffirmed that the collective commitment of ISRO and the wider scientific community to foster a collaborative, multidisciplinary and self-sustaining microgravity research ecosystem that supports future human spaceflight missions while delivering societal and technological benefits.