Private space startups gain from Isro's support, but face significant risks

While Isro is deservedly lauded for its cost-effectiveness, there is excessive focus on achievements such as developing moon launch vehicle for $70 mn, when nations like US spend a billion on project

The space, rocketry and ballistic missile sectors in India are undergoing a period of profound churn. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) — the nodal agency for boosting the private sector’s role in the space economy — is set to transfer the technology for an entire rocket, the small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV), to private industry. This is expected to enable Indian companies to design and build small rockets, enhancing their contribution to the country’s growing space sector. In the secretive world of rocket development, this is, perhaps, the first-ever example where a national