Rising orbit: Startups power India's new space journey

India's space sector shifts from state-led missions to public-private partnerships, with startups driving agility, innovation, and global competitiveness.

- BY PUNAM SINGH

For decades, the global space narrative was largely a duopoly, dominated first by the United States and then the Soviet Union, with Europe and a rising China slowly entering the arena. India, through its Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), carved a distinct niche—launching satellites and interplanetary probes with precision and frugality. But while ISRO led these missions with remarkable efficiency, the effort was almost entirely state-driven.

That is changing.

India's space sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation. What was once a public-led domain is now being restructured through a focused public–private partnership (PPP) model. The shift is strategic and deliberate, aimed not just at internal expansion but at repositioning India in the global space economy.

FROM MONOPOLY TO MULTI-STAKEHOLDER SPACE

ISRO has long been the singular force in Indian space–designing, building, launching, and operating missions. Its milestones, including the Chandrayaan series and the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), showcased Indian ingenuity. However, as the global space economy expands–driven by commercial innovation–India has recognised that a single government agency, however capable, cannot capture the full scope of emerging opportunities.

Reforms began taking shape after 2014, culminating in the Indian Space Policy 2023. This policy formally empowered the private sector, moving it from the role of contractor to that of co-creator and independent operator. The objective is to grow India’s space economy to USD 44 billion by 2033 and capture an 8% share of the global market.