Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (27 November) inaugurated private space startup Skyroot Aerospace’s Infinity Campus in Hyderabad via video conferencing, marking a major milestone in India’s rapidly expanding private space sector.
The Prime Minister also unveiled Vikram-I, Skyroot’s first orbital launch vehicle capable of placing satellites into space.
Speaking at the event, the Prime Minister said India is witnessing an unprecedented opportunity in the space sector, driven by private innovation, growing global demand, and strong youth-led entrepreneurship.
He described Skyroot’s new campus as a symbol of India’s new thinking, innovation and youth power.
A New Era for India’s Private Space Sector
PM Modi noted that India has transformed its space sector in the last six to seven years into an “open, cooperative and innovation-driven ecosystem”.
More than 300 space startups are now working across propulsion systems, composite materials, satellite platforms and rocket stages.
He credited this rise to reforms such as allowing private participation, the creation of IN-SPACe, and the upcoming national space policy.
The Prime Minister said that despite beginning with limited resources—”from carrying rocket parts on a bicycle”—India has developed one of the world’s most reliable launch systems through ISRO’s decades-long credibility and capacity.
Vikram-I and the Infinity Campus
Skyroot’s Infinity Campus spans 200,000 sq ft, equipped for building, integrating and testing multiple launch vehicles, with the capability to produce one orbital rocket every month.
Founded by former ISRO engineers Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, Skyroot earlier made history in 2022 by launching Vikram-S, India’s first privately-built suborbital rocket.
PM Modi praised the founders as “inspirations for countless young space entrepreneurs,” stressing that they succeeded by taking risks and believing in themselves.
India’s Growing Global Space Footprint
PM Modi highlighted that India’s space capability—skilled engineers, cost-effective manufacturing, and world-class launch sites—is now attracting global investors.
The Prime Minister said the global space economy will expand manifold in the coming years, presenting a “significant opportunity” for young Indian innovators.
He also linked the space-sector transformation to a wider startup boom across fintech, agritech, healthtech, climate tech and defence tech, noting that India now hosts over 1.5 lakh registered startups, including several unicorns.
Future Reforms and Research Push
PM Modi said the government is now moving to open the nuclear sector to private innovation, especially in small modular reactors and advanced technologies.
He also highlighted research initiatives including:
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National Research Foundation
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₹1 lakh crore Research, Development & Innovation Fund
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10,000+ Atal Tinkering Labs (with 50,000 more upcoming)
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One Nation, One Subscription for journal access
The Prime Minister reaffirmed India’s ambition to create five space-sector unicorns in the next five years, adding that Skyroot’s progress reinforces this target.
He concluded by urging young entrepreneurs, engineers and researchers to help make “the 21st century the century of India, whether on Earth or in space.”
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