PM Modi launches Skyroot Infinity Campus, unveils Vikram-I orbital rocket

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Skyroot's Infinity Campus and unveiled the Vikram-I rocket, which can launch satellites; the campus will design, test and build rockets monthly

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the Infinity Campus of Indian space startup Skyroot in Hyderabad through video conferencing.

 

During the event, PM Modi also unveiled Skyroot’s first orbital rocket, Vikram-I, which can place satellites into orbit.

 

The new facility spans nearly 200,000 sq ft and is designed for end-to-end work on launch vehicles, from design and development to integration and testing. It also has the capacity to manufacture one orbital rocket every month.

 

Skyroot’s role in India’s space sector

 

Skyroot, founded by IIT graduates and former Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) scientists Pawan Chandana and Bharath Dhaka, is considered one of India’s leading private space companies.

 

In November 2022, the company launched Vikram-S, a sub-orbital rocket, becoming the first private Indian firm to send a rocket to space, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a press release.

 

Officials see the new campus as another step toward India becoming a major global space power, news agency ANI reported. 

  PM Modi inaugurates Safran’s new MRO facility

 

On Wednesday, PM Modi virtually inaugurated the Safran Aircraft Engine Services India (SAESI) facility in Hyderabad.

 

SAESI is Safran’s specialised maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) hub for LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) engines, which power Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. As one of the world’s largest engine MRO facilities, it represents the first instance of a global engine OEM establishing such an operation in India.

 

Addressing the event, PM Modi said India is “dreaming big, doing bigger and delivering the best” as he invited global investors to join India’s growth story. He said Safran’s upcoming largest engine MRO facility in the country, located at the GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park, would further boost India’s position as a global centre for aircraft maintenance.

 

He added that the project represents a major step in localising high-value aviation services and will “create opportunities for the youths in the world of high-tech space".

 

On the rapid expansion of India’s aviation industry, PM Modi said, “In the past few years, India's aviation sector has advanced at an unprecedented pace. Today, India is among the fastest-growing domestic aviation markets in the world. Our domestic market is now the third-largest globally. The aspirations of the people of India are reaching the skies.”

 

(With agency inputs)