India’s space-tech surge: A moonshot moment

Indian startups are transforming the way space is accessed by managing the costs frugally, accelerating timelines, and pushing the boundaries of innovation

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The race to a trillion dollars, the target sum of the global space economy in 10 years, is not a zero-sum game. For India, collaboration will be essential.

(AFP)

A decade ago, India’s ambitions in space rested mostly on Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro)'s shoulders. Today, the landscape has transformed. The space sector now buzzes with founders, investors, and new policies. What began as a governmentdriven project has exploded into an entrepreneurial revolution of chasing the stars with business plans. This is indeed most desirable; with an expanding ambit of action, Isro can’t be expected to do everything without faltering. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C62 launch failing recently, among other things, underscores the dangers of spreading the space agency's capabilities too thin.

The change from a lone Isro handling all to private space-tech players joining the game didn’t happen by chance. Three forces collided: Isro’s technical excellence, smart policy reforms that opened doors for private players, and a wave of entrepreneurs eager to turn rocket science into practical and profitable engineering