Hyderabad-based spacetech startup Skyroot Aerospace is targeting around May 2026 for the launch of Vikram-I, which will become India’s first privately developed orbital rocket on successful completion. The milestone reflects the rapid evolution of India’s private spacetech ecosystem.
Speaking on the sidelines of Arkam Ventures’ annual meet, co-founder Pawan Kumar Chandana of Skyroot Aerospace described the current moment as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for India’s spacetech sector.
“The ecosystem today is far better than when we started [2018]. Policy support is fantastic, and fundraising is much easier,” he said. “You can raise seed funding in India today. For growth, we raised multiple rounds, and now growth funds are actively looking for strong companies. If the company is good, there is no shortage of capital.”
While Chandana noted that the Indian venture ecosystem is still evolving in deep tech, investor awareness of the space opportunity has increased sharply in recent years.
Skyroot Aerospace has till date received around $100 million in funding.
“I wouldn’t say Indian growth funds are fully mature yet, but there are several strong global funds that are investing,” he said. “The challenge today is actually the limited number of companies available to invest in.”
According to Chandana, many investors view space as a sector where India still has a meaningful chance to build global leadership. “Some feel India missed the bus in semiconductors, AI or biotech. But space is still wide open. We may not surpass countries like the US or Russia, but India will definitely play an important role globally.”
The optimism comes as Skyroot prepares for its next major milestone. The company plans to launch Vikram-I, a small satellite launch vehicle designed for dedicated and responsive missions around May this year.
Chandana said during the event that the company is positioning itself to address a structural gap in the global launch market.
“Space exploration is no longer a dream; it is a reality,” he said. “When we started Skyroot, the ambition was simple—to build a global spacetech company from India. From uncertainty around our first funding to now being backed by global investors and supported by the government’s push for deep tech, we are in a position to scale launches.”
Globally, about 219 private launches were expected in 2025, but only 33 were serviced by private providers outside China and SpaceX, leaving a significant supply gap for satellite operators.
“India’s launch economics is changing,” Chandana added. “Vikram-I has about 95% indigenous components, and we are building something faster, more efficient and more economical.”
The opportunity is also being driven by the rapid shift toward small satellites, which now account for more than 75% of global launches, creating demand for quicker and more flexible launch services.
According to a 2026 report by Arkam Ventures, India’s space sector could expand from roughly $13 billion today to nearly $40 billion by 2030, potentially making it the world’s third-largest spacetech ecosystem while attracting $3–5 billion in venture and private equity investment over the next five years.
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