With Skyroot at the head of the class, India’s private space industry seeks to take off

In a significant shift from decades of government-controlled spaceflight, India has opened its doors to private companies, allowing them to design and launch their own rockets. This transformation began in 2020, driven by the need to keep pace with the burgeoning commercial space sectors in the United States and China. Now, as this new era unfolds, Skyroot Aerospace stands at the forefront, preparing to launch its first orbital rocket, the Vikram-1. Co-founder and CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana revealed in a recent interview that the launch could take place within the next few months. With a successful $60 million funding round that has raised the company's valuation to an impressive $1.1 billion, Skyroot is set to enhance its commercial launch capabilities. Chandana, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, began his career at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) but soon recognized the potential for disruption in the space industry. Inspired by the trailblazing efforts of companies like SpaceX and Rocket Lab, he was motivated to create a private launch service. He noted, "The world definitely needed more access to space." Despite the challenges of stepping away from ISRO, Chandana and fellow ISRO scientist Naga Bharath Daka launched Skyroot in June 2018, believing that India had the necessary resources to support a vibrant commercial space sector. With a wealth of skilled engineers, a competent supplier network, government-operated launch facilities, and a strategic location near the equator, the potential for success was clear. Chandana took a calculated risk, convinced that the time was ripe for India to carve out its place in the global space arena.