Business | Countdown to lift-off

Indian startups join the space race

Private rocketeers reach for the sky

Editorial use only. HANDOUT /NO SALESMandatory Credit: Photo by INDIAN SPACE RESEARCH ORGANISATION/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (13629050b)A handout photo made available by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) shows the Vikram-S, India's first-ever private rocket developed by Skyroot Aerospace, blasts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, 18 November 2022.Skyroot Aerospace an Indian space-tech startup based out of Hyderabad launches India's first-ever privately developed rocket 'Vikram-S' on a sub-orbital flight from the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) launchpad in Sriharikota, about 100 km from Chennai. The mission named 'Prarambh' (the beginning) marks the maiden space launch of a privately operated and developed launch vehicle in India. With this Mission, Skyroot Aerospace becomes the first private company in India to launch a rocket into space under the guidance of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after the central government opened up the space sector to facilitate Indian private industry participation in 2020. Skyroot's launch vehicles are named Vikram as a tribute to the founder of the Indian space program and renowned scientist Vikram Sarabhai.India's first private rocket 'Vikram-S' is all set to be launched under the Prarambh mission, Sriharikota - 18 Nov 2022
|Mumbai

The flight, a 90km sub-orbital jaunt, was over in minutes. But for India the rocket launched by Skyroot Aerospace on November 18th, the first by a private company in the country, was a moonshot. Numerous other flights in the coming months will signal an industry ready for take-off.

This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Countdown to lift-off”

Business November 26th 2022

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