India to launch Bhutanese satellite; train its engineers 

NEW DELHI

India's Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch a Bhutanese satellite next year and will train its engineers from December.

Announcing the development at the launch of phase 2 of RuPay card in the country virtually, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said," I am happy to tell you, next year ISRO is planning to send a Bhutanese satellite to outer space next year and work is going on in full pace. For this 4 Bhutanese space, engineers will be trained in India from December by ISRO. I congratulate these Bhutanese nationals. " 

On Thursday, India and Bhutan signed an agreement on the peaceful usage of outer space, to increase cooperation between the 2 sides. Both countries have been engaging in the space sector.

Bhutan has been part of India's south Asia satellite initiative launched in 2017. Last year, Indian PM Modi inaugurated a ground station in the country for the use of the satellite. Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives are part of the project.

PM highlighted, "Space sector will increase connectivity between the 2 countries and India has used space technology for prosperity and growth."

India has emerged as a major centre of low-cost space launch and plans to send Indians in the space under its Gaganyaan project. New Delhi has also opened the space sector for private enterprise.