India created history by successfully landing Chandrayaan-3 on the moon’s South Pole. Here’s what retailers can learn from the milestone mission
Mumbai: At 5.28 pm (IST) on 23 August all eyes across the world were set on millions of screens—from mobile to laptops—as Chandrayaan-3 was about to initiate the Automatic Landing Sequence (ASL) to make a soft landing on the moon.
Chandrayaan-3 is a lunar exploration mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) under its Chandrayaan programme. It is ISRO’s second attempt to make a soft landing on the moon, the first being Chandrayaan-2 in 2019, which crashed on the moon’s surface.
On 14 July 2023, the LVM3 M4 vehicle successfully launched Chandrayaan-3 into space. “Chandrayaan-3, in its precise orbit, has begun its journey to the Moon. Health of the Spacecraft is normal,” said ISRO on its website.
Chandrayaan-3 carries with it a lot of hope, hard work and learning. Here are the key learnings the mission has for retailers
- Don’t give up
Chandrayaan-3 is a living example of this, after the failure of Chandrayaan-2. The ISRO team and the government neither lost hope nor the fire to try again. They learnt from their mistakes and launched Chandrayaan-3 with the same passion and enthusiasm.
- Dare to explore the unchartered
Based on its previous lunar expedition experience, it would have been easier for ISRO to attempt landing on the same territory, which was familiar. Instead, the team dared to attempt to land on the South Pole of the moon, where no country has ever attempted to set foot.
- Do your research
It is said that 15 years of research and hard work of 100s of scientists has gone into launching Chandrayaan-3. And that’s the secret behind every successful venture. Launching a successful retail business also requires adequate research on customers, market and competition. Research is a critical part of preparation.
- Be patient
The team waited for four years after launching Chandrayaan-2 before embarking on its latest mission. Patience is key in business too. The soft landing is often postponed if the team feels the timing is not right. The landing of Chandrayaan-2 too was delayed initially in search of the right opportunity. In business, it’s important to get the right product for the right market, at the right time.
- Innovate, improvise
Not only did the ISRO team learn from their mistakes and improve their systems, technology and approach for Chandrayaan-3, but they also went back to the drawing board to innovate. The new spacecraft is sturdier and has higher fuel capacity and flexibility to reduce the possibility of failure. ISRO chairman S Somnath told MoneyControl that the Vikram lander can safely land on the lunar surface even if its sensors and engine fail. Given the constantly changing competitive landscape and consumer behaviour, retail business requires constant improvisation and innovation.
Ideas and aspirations can take you to the moon, but only innovation can help you land there.
