India will emerge as a global leader in the satellite launch ecosystem, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday after virtually inaugurating the leading private space company Skyroot’s Infinity Campus in Hyderabad.
He also unveiled Skyroot’s first orbital rocket, Vikram-I, capable of launching satellites into orbit. The state-of-the-art facility will have around 2,00,000 square feet of workspace for designing, developing, integrating and testing multiple launch vehicles, with a capacity to build one orbital rocket every month.
The Vikram series is named after Dr Vikram Sarabhai, founder of the Indian Space Program.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Indian space start-up Skyroot’s Infinity Campus via video conferencing, PM Modi lauded private organisations’ contributions to India’s space sector, as his government opened the sector to private players.
The Prime Minister said, “The nation is witnessing an unprecedented opportunity in the space sector today. The private sector is taking great strides in India’s space sector. Skyroot’s Infinity Campus is a reflection of new thinking, innovation and youth power. Our youth’s innovation, risk-taking ability, and entrepreneurship are touching new heights. Today’s event shows that in future, India will emerge as a leader in the global satellite launch ecosystem.”
He noted that India had begun its space journey with limited resources, but its resolve made a mark on the global space sector, and also lauded the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for giving a new flight to India’s space journey for decades. It is pertinent to note that Skyroot was founded by former ISRO scientists.
“India’s space journey began with limited resources, but our ambitions were never limited. From carrying a part of a rocket on a bicycle to the world’s most trusted launch vehicle, India has proved that dreams are not achieved by resources, but instead by resolve. India has created its own identity with credibility, capacity and value. ISRO gave a new flight to India’s space journey for decades,” PM Modi.
He also congratulated the founder of Skyroot. “I congratulate Pawan Chandana and Bharath Dhaka. You both are an inspiration for India’s young space entrepreneurs. You both trusted yourselves and did not back off from taking risks, and the nation is witnessing the result. The nation is proud of you.”
According to a press release by the PMO, Skyroot is India’s leading private space company, founded by Pawan Chandana and Bharath Dhaka, both alumni of the Indian Institutes of Technology and former ISRO scientists turned entrepreneurs. In November 2022, Skyroot launched its sub-orbital rocket, Vikram-S, becoming the first Indian private company to launch a rocket to space.
