New Delhi, Aug 25 - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday laid the foundation stone of the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) first campus in the national capital and urged space scientists to continue their focus on need-based science for nation building.

'I am very happy to lay the foundation stone of ISRO's Space Complex in New Delhi. The complex will go a long way in fulfilling the needs for utilisation of space based services in this part of our country,' Manmohan Singh said in his speech here.

'I do hope that the building will be well-designed and that it will set an example in the utilisation of environment-friendly technologies. Above all, I hope that it will popularize the study of space all across the country,' he added.

Through video conference, the prime minister also inaugurated the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram.

'I would like to thank the governments of both Kerala and Delhi, particularly (Delhi Chief Minister) Smt. Shiela Dixit, for supporting the establishment of these two institutions,' Singh said.