New Delhi, Dec. 5 -- India's private sector is set to play a significantly larger role in the country's space and nuclear industries, a shift that was unimaginable a decade ago, Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said on Friday.

Speaking at the CII Global Summit on Industry-Academia Partnership, Singh said India had transformed from being counted among the "fragile five" emerging economies to becoming "first among four," building confidence in its scientific and industrial capabilities.

He said the opening of the space sector to private players marked a major policy change. "Nobody could have imagined this ten years back," Singh said, adding that India's private companies were now emerging as partners in strateg...