Skyroot's Vikram-1 success puts India's private space sector in orbit

Experts say breakthrough paves the way for launch vehicles, manufacturing, and commercial space services

The historic feat by Skyroot Aerospace on Saturday, becoming the first private company to fly an Indian-built rocket to orbit on its maiden attempt, may well be the moment that unlocks upstream space services in the country, experts say.

 

According to the Indian Space Association (ISpA), of the roughly $9 billion Indian space economy, the downstream segment accounts for around 80 per cent, or $7.8 billion. Skyroot’s success, also dubbed India’s SpaceX moment, is key to the future growth of the upstream segment, valued at $1.2 billion, as rocket technology underpins the entire space ecosystem, said Lieutenant General Anil K Bhatt (retired), director general of ISpA. “Launch vehicles are the key that opens all these opportunities. Indigenous private space capability in this domain opens doors for all sectors,” he said.

 

 

The upstream segment refers to all activities, products, and infrastructure involved in the development, testing, launch, operation, and monitoring, including space situational awareness, of space assets. The downstream segment, on the other hand, refers to applications, services, and devices that rely on satellites to create business value. Major private startups in India’s upstream sector include Skyroot, AgniKul Cosmos, and Pixxel, which focus on rocket development, satellite launches, and space technology (spacetech).

 

On Saturday, Mission Aagaman, meaning “arrival”, lifted off from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Vikram-1 flew a nominal profile to reach its target low Earth orbit of about 450 kilometres at a 60-degree inclination, where it successfully deployed its payloads. With the mission, Skyroot joined the exclusive group of companies capable of reaching orbit.

 

“Beyond the engineering marvel of an all-carbon composite rocket, this launch is a masterclass in public-private co-existence. With Skyroot’s validation as India’s first spacetech unicorn, this success is a resounding signal to global sovereign and institutional funds. The Indian private space sector is no longer a high-risk bet; it is a highly bankable, globally competitive asset class capable of easing the global small satellite launch bottleneck,” Bhatt said.

 

Vikram-1 is a seven-storey-tall, multi-stage orbital launch vehicle built around an all-carbon composite structure and powered by in-house-developed propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel motors. It is designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kilograms (kg) into low Earth orbit. Its ultra-low-shock, ground-testable separation systems are engineered to protect the delicate satellites it carries.

 

On this flight, Vikram-1 carried technology demonstration payloads from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve, and Dcubed, alongside Skyroot’s own Scope satellite, as well as Cosmos Diamonds’ artwork, Cosmic Bloom, and a microart piece — a small, human reminder of what access to space can carry.

 

“Lower-cost and more responsive launch services will enable more Indian satellite operators to deploy and replenish constellations, improving the availability, revisit frequency, and timeliness of Earth observation data. Equally important, they lower the barrier for emerging downstream and application-focused space startups to own and operate dedicated satellite assets tailored to specific industry needs,” said Krishanu Acharya, cofounder and chief executive officer of Suhora Technologies.

 

“This milestone beautifully demonstrates how India’s space economy is thriving through a truly collaborative ecosystem, where the government, startups, academia, investors, and global industry players are helping build the NewSpace future together,” said Gautam Sharma, managing director of Viasat India.

 

The success of Vikram-1 lays the foundation for Skyroot’s commercial launch programme and reinforces India’s emergence as a major force in the global space economy. The company’s road map includes Vikram-2, capable of carrying payloads of up to 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit, with its maiden flight targeted for 2027, as well as a fully reusable launch vehicle, with both the booster and upper stage engineered for recovery and reuse, to further reduce the cost of reaching orbit.