The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman has said that India is targeting an 8 to 10 per cent share in the global commercial space market over the next 10 years. To achieve this, he emphasised the need for significant improvements in infrastructure, industry-led development, and manufacturing capabilities. Currently, India holds less than 2 per cent of the global commercial space market.
Citing OneWeb India Mission as a turning point, the chairman said that the project, developed indigenously due to geopolitical shifts following the Ukraine conflict, enhanced India’s commercial credibility in the global space arena. So far, the country has conducted 14 commercial launches.
The ISRO chief also revealed plans to launch a 6,500-kg commercial satellite from the US using the Mark III rocket, marking the final mission in a three-part collaboration with NASA. Notably, ISRO recently launched the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite on July 30 using the Mark II F16 rocket, the costliest satellite launches by India to date.
Since the rollout of space sector reforms by the prime minister to foster public-private partnerships (PPPs), the ISRO chairman said capacity building has picked up pace. He acknowledged that demand for space-based services is rising across sectors and that other countries are now approaching India for their space needs, reflecting confidence in India’s technological progress.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration, he welcomed the PPP model, stating that ISRO alone cannot meet the growing market demand. The chairman projected that ISRO may need to triple the number of satellites currently in orbit within the next three years to keep pace. He concluded that, based on existing demand, India should aim to launch three rockets per month to meet national requirements.
