Private firms drive India’s space push
Skyroot Aerospace is scheduled to attempt India’s first launch of a privately developed orbital-class rocket on July 18, as private firms take a larger role in the country’s space program.
The Vikram-1 test flight will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, the company said.
“It’s a milestone for Skyroot and for India,” co-founder and chief executive Pawan Kumar Chandana told AFP.
India opened its space sector to private companies in 2020. It now has more than 400 space startups, which have attracted over $500 million, including nearly $150 million in 2025, according to government data.
