According to Pawan Goenka, chairman, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), India has the potential to become a leading player in global markets if its startups focus on building smaller satellites. Within a year, the country will have three fully operational small satellite launch vehicles (SSLVs), namely Skyroot’s Vikram rocket, Agnikul’s Agnibaan, and ISRO’s SSLV.
Goenka highlighted that both the industry and the government are currently concentrating on four key areas where India holds a strong competitive advantage. These include establishing India as a hub for small satellite launches, advancing manufacturing and design, setting up ground stations for satellite communication and space applications, and expanding data services.
At present, India lacks commercial ground stations, with all existing stations being ISRO-owned and used primarily for internal operations. IN-SPACe has granted authorisation to four startups to develop private ground stations in the country. However, a licensing framework for these private ground stations is yet to be finalised, with space authorities working alongside the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to complete it in the coming months.
Goenka also stated that by the end of this year, India will witness its first space unicorn. Currently, the highest-valued startup in the sector is worth approximately half a billion dollars. With a target of achieving a $44 billion space economy by 2033, backed by $22 billion in investments, he noted that progress is being made across both the government and private sectors. However, he acknowledged the absence of a standardised methodology for measuring the space economy.
