Private sector players see huge business opportunity through joint ecosystem with ISRO
Space-tech startup Agnikul Cosmos, incubated by IIT-Madras, on Tuesday said it has raised Rs 200 crore in the Series-B funding round and aims to use that for supporting its expansion plans as the firm looks at putting satellites in orbit. Agnikul has started the integration of the launch vehicle Agnibaan SubOrbital Technology Demonstrator at its private launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. "We are planning to have a test launch before the year-end," Agnikul co-founder and CEO Srinath Ravichandran told PTI. With the successful closure of a Series-B fund of Rs 200 crore (USD 26.7 million), the startup has increased its total capital raised till date to USD 40 million. The round saw participation from venture capital investors such as Celesta Capital, Rocketship.vc, Artha Venture Fund and Artha Select Fund, Mayfield India, along with existing investors such as pi Ventures, Speciale Invest and Mayfield India. "We have a fair idea of the technology that is involv
"Despite continued headwinds in financial markets, the world is waking up to the importance of space-based technologies," Space Capital said
The government may liberalise foreign direct investment norms for the country's Space sector, as it eyes further improvement in ease of doing business, a top official said on Friday. Presently, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the Space sector is allowed up to 100 per cent in the area of Satellites-Establishment and Operations through government route only. While addressing a road-show event for the Vibrant Gujarat Summit to be held on January 10-12, 2024, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said, the government may liberalise FDI norms for the country's Space sector. Speaking on the government's policies, he said, FDI liberalisation has substantially been achieved in India except for a few strategic sectors. "We've tried to maintain an almost Open Sky policy for almost all sectors of the economy. Though that liberalisation will continue and we may expand it further to even some of our sectors like Space as well. The .
Chandrayaan-3's success - with 60-70% of its components coming from the private sector - enhances the sector's credibility, says Pawan Goenka, chairman of IN-SPACe
The Indian Space Research Organisation has enabled a successful rocket-engine test conducted by Skyroot, a Hyderabad-based space start-up, at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu. Friday's test in the Liquid Thruster Test Facility (LTTF) in IPRC, involved the Raman-II engine, which was designed by Skyroot to generate 820 Newton (Sea Level) and 1,460 Newton (Vacuum) thrust, with a nominal chamber pressure of 8.5 bar absolute, Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO said in a statement on Saturday. The regeneratively cooled engine, manufactured through additive manufacturing techniques, utilises Mono Methyl Hydrazine and Nitrogen Tetroxide as propellants. "The 10-second duration test achieved the expected performance in terms of start transient, steady state, and shut-off," it said. Skyroot intends to integrate the Raman-II engine into the fourth stage of its launch vehicle, Vikram-I. "The test facility systems demonstrated normal performance during the test, meeting th
From aiming to re-fuel satellites in orbit to monitoring the Earth's health, Indian start-ups in the space sector are exploring niche markets with the hope of striking it big as opportunities for global commercial collaborations open up. India becoming a signatory to the Artemis Accords and the focus on the space sector, particularly on addressing issues related to export control and technology transfer, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the US will open up doors for private players, industry leaders believe. Since India opened up its space sector in 2020, more than 150 start-ups have come up in areas such as building rockets and satellites, setting up astronaut training facilities and exploring possibilities for space tourism. "It is a good start, because it was unheard of for the US to supply any space or defence-related technology 10-15 years ago. It was a taboo. Now, we are talking of working together in sunrise sectors," Manastu Space co-founder Tushar Jadha
The startup has raised more $71 million from investors including Accenture PLC. Pixxel did not specify the valuation it reflected
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Company says its technology helps in all-weather imaging without atmospheric interference
Development follows Skyroot Aerospace's launch of Vikram-S rocket on a sub-orbital flight from Sriharikota on Nov 18
Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao expressed happiness over successfully placing into the space orbit the two Nano satellites launched from Sriharikota by Telangana-based Dhruva Space Tech
Funding to private players soars to $108.52 million compared to $67.2 million in 2021
Spacetech startup Pixxel is set to launch its third hyperspectral satellite Anand onboard ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Sriharikota spaceport on Saturday. Anand is a hyperspectral microsatellite weighing less than 15 kg but having more than 150 wavelengths that will enable it to capture images of the earth in greater detail than today's non-hyperspectral satellites that have not more than 10 wavelengths. The imagery from the satellite can be used to detect pest infestation, map forest fires, identify soil stress and oil slicks amongst other things, a statement from Pixxel said on Monday. "After more than 18 months of delay, many many retests, and more than two years of sweat and hard work by the team, we are finally launching this week," Awais Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Pixxel said on Twitter. Founded by Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, Pixxel became the first Indian company ever to launch a commercial satellite Shakuntala in April using Elon Musk's SpaceX'
A Nasa-like PPP policy could make India an aerospace powerhouse
The company which launched India's first private rocket on November 18 is also planning to develop reusable rocket engines
The company has named the rocket Vikram-S as a tribute to the founder of India's space programme Dr Vikram Sarabhai
The mission, named 'Prarambh', will be the first launch of a privately developed and operated launch vehicle from the country
Removal of angel tax, removal of retrospective tax, and reduction of corporate tax - are encouraging investments and industry: PM Modi
Space-related technology is a $200 billion market that spans companies building products and services to use on Earth, in orbit or for space exploration and colonization missions