The United States wants India to be a key partner as it returns to the Moon, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Monday, highlighting the growing strategic partnership between Washington and New Delhi in space exploration.

Speaking at the Bengaluru Space Expo 2026, Gor said NASA has officially invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to participate in its Moon Base programme.

“India is a proud signatory to the Artemis Accords, and NASA has officially invited ISRO to join us in the Moon Base programme,” Gor said, adding that the US wants India “by our side on the lunar surface.”

India-US space ties move towards ‘co-creation’

Gor said the relationship between India and the US in the space sector is moving beyond conventional cooperation towards joint development and co-creation.

He highlighted the complementary strengths of the two countries, with the US bringing private capital and established commercial ecosystems, while India contributes engineering expertise, scientific talent and a rapidly expanding space-startup ecosystem.

The two countries have already expanded cooperation through the NISAR mission, a joint NASA-ISRO Earth-observation satellite designed to provide valuable data for studying changes on Earth and supporting disaster management.

Gor described NISAR as an example of how joint space technology can have a direct impact on people's lives.

Shubhanshu Shukla mission strengthens human spaceflight cooperation

The US envoy also pointed to Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's mission to the International Space Station as another milestone in bilateral space cooperation.

Following the Axiom-4 mission, India and the US are exploring areas including docking standards, interoperability and astronaut training, Gor said.

The developments could provide a stronger foundation for future human-spaceflight missions involving the two countries.

US opens opportunities for Indian space startups

Gor also encouraged Indian space startups to explore the American market, saying US investors and commercial ecosystems are interested in India's growing space sector.

Indian companies such as Pixxel, GalaxEye, Digantara, Bellatrix, Skyroot and Agnikul are among the startups attracting attention as India's private space industry expands.

He said the partnership could create opportunities across satellite technology, launch services, Earth observation, space situational awareness and other emerging areas.

India-US cooperation gets wider

The latest developments build on the India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group, whose ninth meeting was held in Bengaluru in August.

According to ISRO, both sides discussed expanding cooperation following the successful NISAR mission and explored future collaboration in science and human-spaceflight technologies. NASA's invitation to ISRO to participate in the Moon Base programme was also recorded during the discussions.

Gor said Washington and New Delhi are also working together on space governance and space-traffic coordination, including preparations for the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference.

The US envoy said the partnership could play a significant role in building a broader global space economy.

What this means for India

The growing India-US space partnership could give Indian scientists, astronauts and private space companies greater access to international technology, investment and missions.

For India, participation in future lunar programmes could also strengthen its position in the global space sector as the country expands its ambitions in human spaceflight and lunar exploration.