By AFP and Focus | 2026-07-20

SRIHARIKOTA, India -- India's first privately built orbital rocket took its maiden flight on July 18, its company said, marking a significant step for the South Asian giant as it eyes a bigger slice of the global space economy.

The Vikram-1 rocket, built by Skyroot Aerospace and designed to carry small satellites into low-Earth orbit, took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota amid loud cheers.

"Hello space, we have arrived!" Skyroot Aerospace tweeted. "Vikram-1's Test Flight-1 has completed its mission. The first ever Indian private sector launch has been successfully completed."

Vikram-1 is about as tall as a seven-story building and capable of carrying payloads weighing up to 350kg.

Pawan Goenka, chairman of the government's Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center, said the achievement went "way beyond expectation for the very first orbital launch ever taken by an Indian private company."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the endeavor as "a defining moment in India's space journey."

"The growing participation of our private sector is opening new frontiers and accelerating innovation," Modi said.

The rocket is carrying a diverse range of payloads, including a lab-grown diamond and robotic arms capable of removing space debris.

India's space ambitions, built on decades of investment by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), have gathered pace in recent years.

The country's space economy -- valued at around $8.4 billion -- has rapidly expanded since the sector opened up to private players in 2020, and is now home to more than 400 space startups.

'New heights'

"India's space ambitions soar to new heights!" Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said after the launch.

Former ISRO chairman K. Sivan hailed the work done by space startups, adding that the country was witnessing the "fruits of the seeds sown" when it opened up the sector to private players.

"With Skyroot especially, the rocket is one of the most challenging and complex technologies in the space system... It is going to motivate many people," he told AFP.

Sivan added that "there is no doubt" the launch will have a global impact.

"If an Indian startup can make one of the most challenging things in the space industry, then it gives a huge boost to India's reputation globally."

Space ambitions

In 2014, India became the first Asian nation to put a spacecraft into orbit around Mars.

In August 2023, India became only the fourth country to land an unmanned spacecraft on the Moon, after Russia, the United States and China. That program is called Chandrayaan ("Mooncraft").

Another Chandrayaan mission planned for 2027 is expected to return Moon samples, while a Venus orbiter is slated for 2028.

India's Aditya solar mission is studying the Sun's outer atmosphere and space weather.

New Delhi projects its space industry will grow to $44 billion by 2033 and $100 billion by 2040.

India cooperates with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the European Space Agency, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Saudi Arabia, while Russia supports preparations for its human spaceflight program.

ISRO is preparing for its first crewed space mission, with the first of three uncrewed test flights expected in late 2026.

Named Gaganyaan, or "sky craft," the program aims to send three Indian astronauts into a 400km orbit for three days.

As part of those preparations, Indian air force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla joined a SpaceX Dragon mission in 2025, becoming the first Indian to reach the International Space Station.

India aims to build its own space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040, Modi has said.

Private sector and defense

Alongside its broader technology and artificial intelligence ambitions, India's private space industry is growing rapidly.

India's civil space and defense industries are closely intertwined, with several government agencies and private firms supplying both sectors.

Those capabilities include launch vehicles, propulsion systems, satellites, electronics and guidance technologies that support India's missile and military drone programs.

ISRO has highlighted its cooperation with the Defense Research and Development Organization.

Companies supplying avionics and guidance systems to ISRO have benefited from rising military orders.

Gap with China

China's space program remains far larger than India's. Beijing's government space spending exceeded $19 billion in 2024, compared with India's budget of roughly $1.1 billion that year, according to Statista.

China carried out 97 orbital missions in 2025, according to space-tracking site KeepTrack, while state media and analysts have pointed to a target of at least 140 launches in 2026. In contrast, India had five orbital missions in 2025.

As India seeks to catch up with China in space and other strategic technologies, it is trying to reduce its reliance on Chinese rare earths, magnets and other critical materials used in satellites, spacecraft and defense systems.

New Delhi has introduced domestic mining and magnet production initiatives and is working with Quad alliance partners United States, Japan and Australia to diversify critical-mineral supply chains.