New Delhi, November 28: India marked a major milestone in its private space sector today as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Skyroot Aerospace’s Infinity Campus in Hyderabad via video conferencing. During the event, the Prime Minister also unveiled Vikram-I, Skyroot’s first orbital rocket capable of launching satellites into space.
The PM said the new campus signals India’s rapid acceleration toward becoming a global satellite launch hub, adding that the country’s “youth power with innovation, risk-taking ability and entrepreneurship is reaching new heights.”
India’s Biggest Push to Private Space Industry
The newly inaugurated Infinity Campus features 200,000 sq ft of workspace dedicated to designing, developing, integrating, and testing multiple launch vehicles. With this facility, Skyroot aims to manufacture one orbital rocket every month, making it one of the most advanced private space complexes in the country.
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Skyroot was founded by Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, both former ISRO scientists. In November 2022, the company launched Vikram-S, becoming India’s first private company to successfully launch a rocket into space.
‘From Carrying Rockets on Bicycles to Leading Global Launch Market’
Highlighting India’s journey in space, PM Modi recalled how the country began with minimal resources yet never let ambitions shrink.
He said ISRO’s decades of work in credibility, capacity and value have created a distinct global identity for India’s space capabilities. The PM emphasised that India today possesses expertise “that only a few nations in the world have,” including high-quality engineers, advanced manufacturing systems, and cost-effective launch services.
Private Space Revolution: 300+ Startups Now Active
Modi said India’s space reforms in the past six–seven years—opening the sector to private players, connecting startups with ISRO through IN-SPACe, and launching a new space policy—have triggered a “Private Space Revolution.”
More than 300 private space startups are now operational in India, many of them founded by small teams working from rented rooms with minimal resources. These teams are developing innovations in:
- propulsion systems
- composite materials
- rocket stages
- satellite platforms
India is becoming a major destination for global space investors, he added.
Global Satellite Demand Rising — India Eyes Big Opportunity
The PM said worldwide demand for small satellites is rising, and launch frequencies are increasing sharply. As the global space economy expands, India aims to secure a major share in the market through cost-efficient orbital launch solutions.
International companies, he noted, are now seeking to manufacture satellites in India, use Indian launch services, and partner in technology development.
Part of a Larger Startup & Tech Revolution
Modi linked India’s space boom to the wider startup revolution across sectors such as FinTech, AgriTech, HealthTech, ClimateTech, EduTech, and DefenceTech. India today has over 1.5 lakh registered startups, many emerging from small towns and villages.
He also cited major government investments including:
- ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development & Innovation Fund
- 10,000+ Atal Tinkering Labs (with plans for 50,000 more)
- the National Research Foundation
- One Nation, One Subscription initiative for global journals
India to Create Five Space Unicorns in Next Five Years
The PM reiterated his vision that India will:
- dramatically increase launch capacity
- create five new space-sector unicorns
- expand deep-tech and hardware innovation across the country
Modi said Skyroot’s rapid progress “makes it certain that India will achieve every target it has set for the space sector.”
‘21st Century Belongs to India — On Earth and in Space’
The Prime Minister assured full government support to young scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs in the space ecosystem.
He concluded with a call to make the 21st century the century of India — on Earth and in space.
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