Isro to industry: Tech transfers fueling private sector's orbital lift-off

Isro's tech expertise has found wider uses. Now, IN-SPACe is driving deeper tech transfers to power the private sector's orbital lift-off

India’s space ambitions are on an upward trajectory, and now private collaborations are propelling them further through transfer of technology.

 

Late last month, the Department of Space, through its nodal agency — the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) — announced the transfer of Indian Space Research Organisation’s (Isro’s) small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) technology to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for ₹511 crore. 

 

The landmark move was one of the first instances of the Indian space agency fully transferring a launch vehicle technology to an industry player. This signals a strategic shift in India’s space programme as it aims to position itself as a global hub for small satellite manufacturing and launches.

 

This transfer is not happening in isolation. 

 

HAL and L&T are already collaborating with Isro on the end-to-end manufacturing of the polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) — the first time an Indian launch vehicle is being completely realised by the industry. 

 

Discussions are also underway to involve public sector entities in building Isro’s new heavy-lift rocket, Launch Vehicle Mk III (LVM3) — an upgraded version of the GSLV Mk III. Unlike the supplier model adopted for PSLV, this move would see industry players owning the complete value chain. 

 

Further ahead, India is planning industry partnerships for its Next-Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), envisioned to enable advanced launch capabilities, including crewed missions and potential lunar landings. 

 

The potential scale of this business is already evident. 

 

Between 2015 and 2024, India earned foreign exchange revenues of $143 million and €272 million by launching 393 foreign satellites and three Indian customer satellites for 34 countries, using Isro’s PSLV, LVM3, and SSLV. As the country sets its sights on building a $44 billion space economy by 2033, the commercial potential of its launch vehicles will be critical.

 

“Isro’s key space technologies have laid the foundation for India’s private space sector,” said Rajeev Jyoti, director, Technical Directorate, IN-SPACe. “By acquiring these technologies, the private sector can avoid duplicating efforts and instead focus on building a commercially viable and globally competitive manufacturing base in India.” 

 

IN-SPACe, as an enabler, is playing a pivotal role in identifying Isro’s technologies that can be offered to the Indian private sector, he added. “The transfer of SSLV technology is a strategic initiative aimed at positioning India as a global hub for launching small satellites in lower Earth orbit (LEO).”

 

For AK Bhatt, director general of the Indian Space Association (ISpA), these developments point to the faith in the private sector in India. “R&D done by the government is getting transferred to the private sector.” This, he added, will play a crucial role in India’s ambition of becoming a hub for space manufacturing and launches — including its human spaceflight missions.

 

Isro has a long tradition of technology transfers for civilian use, well beyond launch vehicles.

 

A history of spin-offs

 

Isro’s technology transfer efforts date back to the 1970s and ’80s, particularly from its work at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the Isro Satellite Centre. 

 

The first known civilian transfer was polyurethane (PU) foam technology — initially used in rocket motors — which found renewed purpose in prosthetics. It was used to develop lighter, more durable artificial limbs, most notably the Jaipur Foot.

 

Over the decades, Isro has transferred scores of technologies for diverse applications — from Beryllium X-Ray tubes and inertial navigation systems for aircraft to data collection systems for flood monitoring, and even biocompatible titanium heart pumps. Other notable spin-offs include smart bionic limbs, silica thermal barriers, fire-retardant coatings, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems, and adhesives for industrial use. 

 

According to Isro data, before the formation of IN-SPACe, the agency had already transferred more than 400 technologies to around 235 industries.

 

“This mandate builds on a rich legacy of diffusing products, processes, and expertise by the Indian space programme to a wide range of industries, for enterprises of all sizes,” said Sreeram Ananthasayanam, Partner, Deloitte India. 

 

“Over the years, the department's research indicates that over 400 deep technology products have been transferred. In addition to this, several hundred consultations have been carried out to help companies take up niche capabilities.”

 

He added that the otherwise invisible part of this legacy is how Isro’s innovations have catalysed growth in other deep-tech sectors. Even India’s telecom success owes much to direct Isro initiatives and skill transference, including work on antennas and ground stations, Ananthasayanam said.

 

A new era with IN-SPACe

 

India’s tech transfer momentum gained fresh traction after the establishment of IN-SPACe in June 2020, and the Indian Space Policy that followed. 

 

IN-SPACe has also laid the groundwork for building an indigenous earth observation system through non-government entities via public-private partnerships (PPP). Since its inception, IN-SPACe has transferred around 93 technologies, largely in upstream areas such as launch vehicles and associated systems.

 

“Such initiatives will help the private sector to do well in India, too. The collaborations will help advance space development, driving innovation, economic growth, and technology adoption,” said Bhatt. “Most of these transfers are in upstream segments, focused on component development.”

 

The latest of these tech transfers, on July 3, involved the handing over of 10 cutting-edge Isro-developed technologies to six Indian industries. These spanned the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments, and included a ceramic-based flameproof coating, laser gyroscopes, ceramic servo accelerometers, and technologies tied to ground station operations.

 

The deepening industry participation is also aimed at reducing dependency on foreign technologies in critical areas such as satellite launches, ground station infrastructure, and geospatial applications, said an IN-SPACe official.

 

And if current projections are anything to go by, the growth story is only accelerating. IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Goenka recently estimated that in just a few years, India could be launching around three rockets every two weeks, thanks to the SSLV programme with HAL and new-age players like Agnikul Cosmos and Skyroot Aerospace.

 

That trajectory suggests one thing clearly: the Indian space sector is no longer just on the launchpad — it’s already lifting off.