India’s drone and space-tech sector to grow five-fold, create 2 lakh jobs by 2033

India’s aerospace, drone and space-tech sectors are set for a major expansion, with a new report on Friday estimating that the industry will grow more than five-fold to USD 44 billion by 2033 and generate over 2 lakh jobs across engineering, data and research roles.

According to workforce solutions provider Adecco India, the sector is shifting from a research-led operation to a full-scale industry, supported by government reforms, private investment and global partnerships. The report said the drone and space-tech ecosystem alone is expected to create over 2 lakh new jobs for engineers, researchers, data scientists and business professionals.

It added that emerging roles such as Space Policy Analysts, Robotics Engineers, Avionics Specialists and GNC (Guidance, Navigation and Control) experts are becoming central to India’s future ambitions in space.

The findings are based on data from more than 100 Adecco clients along with additional market research inputs.

“With strong government vision and a vibrant startup ecosystem, India is poised to become a global space hub, and this will create a wave of opportunities for talent across engineering, research, data, and business domains,” Adecco India Director and Head of General Staffing Deepesh Gupta said.

Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Pune are expected to account for the highest number of opportunities. Adecco said wages for niche roles such as avionics, cryogenics, ATDC (Attitude Determination and Control Systems), Remote Sensing Specialists and Space Habitat Engineers could command a 20–30 per cent premium over other technical fields.

The report attributes the projected growth to policy reforms including the Indian Space Policy 2023, the expansion of more than 250 space startups, and a Rs 1,000 crore VC fund under IN-SPACe aimed at boosting private-sector innovation.

It also highlights the role of diversity initiatives such as the WISE Fellowship, Vigyan Jyoti Programme, ISRO Young Scientist Programme (YUVIKA) and the SAMRIDH Scheme in enabling more women to enter technical and entrepreneurial pathways.

The report notes that upcoming missions including Gaganyaan, India’s participation in the Axiom-4 ISS programme and the development of a domestic space station are expected to further accelerate demand for specialised talent.

India’s space economy currently contributes about 2 per cent to the global market. The government has set a target of scaling this to USD 44 billion by 2033, including USD 11 billion in exports, which would give India an estimated 7–8 per cent share of the global space economy, the report said.