Date: 2026-07-18Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
India established as a Serious Global Space Power with Vikram-1 Success; Dr. Jitendra Singh Says, the Historic Mission Vindicates PM Modi’s Landmark Space Reforms
**Executive Summary**
On July 18, 2026, Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. This milestone, part of "Mission Aagaman," validates the 2020 space sector reforms and the collaborative public-private partnership model between ISRO, IN-SPACe, and the Department of Space. The mission establishes India as a major player in the global space economy, which is projected to grow from USD 9 billion to USD 44 billion over the next decade.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Mission Success and Significance**
* Vikram-1 successfully placed experimental and customer payloads into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), marking the first orbital launch by a private Indian company from Indian soil.
* The mission validated critical flight systems, including propulsion, avionics, telemetry, navigation, and flight-control systems.
* Unlike typical maiden missions that use dummy masses, Vikram-1 carried functional technology demonstrations for both domestic and international partners.
**Technical Innovations**
* The launch vehicle stands approximately 22 metres tall and has the capacity to carry up to 350 kilograms to LEO.
* It is India’s first all-carbon composite orbital rocket and features one of the country's longest monolithic carbon-composite rocket stages.
* The rocket incorporates a 100% 3D-printed liquid engine powering its Orbital Adjustment Module.
* Advanced technological features include ultra-low-shock pneumatic separation systems and indigenous technological breakthroughs.
**Sector Growth and Policy Impact**
* The success is attributed to the 2020 landmark reforms that opened the space sector to private participation.
* The Indian space ecosystem has expanded to include over 400 start-ups and its first space unicorn.
* The mission reinforces India's position as a reliable, cost-effective, and technologically advanced partner in the international commercial launch market.
**Impact Analysis**
**Skyroot Aerospace**
**Impact**
The company has become the first private Indian entity to achieve an orbital launch, proving its technological maturity and building global commercial confidence.
**Action Required**
Continue to leverage the public-private partnership framework to provide commercial orbital launch services.
**Indian Space Start-ups**
**Impact**
The success of Vikram-1 serves as a proof of concept for the private sector, demonstrating that Indian innovators can access national infrastructure to develop world-class technologies.
**Action Required**
Utilize the established ecosystem and infrastructure provided by the Department of Space to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship.
**ISRO / IN-SPACe / Department of Space**
**Impact**
These bodies have successfully transitioned from sole operators to enablers of a seamless public-private partnership framework.
**Action Required**
Maintain the collaborative environment and policy support required to reach the national goal of a USD 44 billion space economy.
**Global Commercial Partners**
**Impact**
International stakeholders now have access to a new, validated, and technologically advanced commercial launch provider in the Indian market.
**Action Required**
Engage with the Indian private space sector for future customer payloads and technology demonstration missions.
Key Entities Referenced
Vikram-1: India's first privately developed orbital launch vehicle, designed to place payloads into Low Earth Orbit.
Skyroot Aerospace: The Indian private space startup responsible for the successful development and launch of the Vikram-1 mission.
Space Sector Reforms (2020): The landmark policy initiative that opened India's space sector to private participation and created a public-private partnership framework.
IN-SPACe: The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre, the nodal agency created to promote and oversee private sector involvement in space activities.
Department of Space: The primary government department responsible for administering the Indian space program and implementing the reforms enabling private enterprise.
Department of Space
India established as a Serious Global Space
Power with Vikram-1 Success; Dr. Jitendra Singh
Says, the Historic Mission Vindicates PM Modi’s
Landmark Space Reforms
"For India, the sky is no longer the limit": Dr Jitendra Singh
Union Minister congratulates Skyroot Aerospace, ISRO and
IN-SPACe as India’s first privately developed orbital launch
vehicle successfully reaches orbit from Sriharikota
Vikram-1 Mission Strengthens India's Position in the Global
Commercial Market: Dr. Jitendra Singh
प्रव तथ: 18 JUL 2026 5:15PM by PIB Delhi
The successful launch of Vikram-1, India's first privately developed orbital launch vehicle, marks India's
emergence as a serious global player in the rapidly expanding global space economy and stands as a
powerful vindication of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's landmark decision to open the country's
space sector to private participation, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science &
Technology, Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Personnel, Public
Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, said
today.
Dr. Jitendra Singh witnessed the successful launch of Mission Aagaman at the Satish Dhawan Space
Centre, Sriharikota, where Skyroot Aerospace successfully placed Vikram-1 into its designated Low Earth
Orbit, becoming the first Indian private company to achieve an orbital launch from Indian soil. The
mission marks a defining milestone in India's space journey and demonstrates the growing strength of the
country's public-private partnership model, enabled by the collaborative efforts of the Department of
Space, ISRO, IN-SPACe and India's vibrant start-up ecosystem.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi congratulated the Skyroot Aerospace team on the historic
achievement, describing it as a proud milestone for India's expanding space ecosystem and a reflection of
the country's growing scientific capability, entrepreneurial spirit and innovation-driven development.
Congratulating Skyroot Aerospace founders Pawan Kumar Chandana and Bharath Daka, Dr. Jitendra
Singh said that had Prime Minister Narendra Modi not taken the bold decision to open India's space sector
to private enterprise, the country would not have witnessed this historic achievement. He said the reformshave unlocked the immense potential of Indian innovators, providing them access to national space
infrastructure and creating an ecosystem where world-class technologies can now be conceived, developed
and launched entirely from India.
The Minister also congratulated IN-SPACe, ISRO and the Department of Space for creating a seamless
public-private partnership framework that has transformed India's space ecosystem. He said the success of
Vikram-1 reflects how visionary policymaking, scientific excellence and entrepreneurial talent can
together produce globally competitive technological achievements.
Recalling his long association with the Skyroot team, Dr. Jitendra Singh said he had closely followed the
journey of the company's founders from the very beginning and had always admired their technological
confidence, creativity and innovative approach. He said today's success is the outcome of years of
perseverance, scientific excellence and the determination of India's young entrepreneurs to build globally
competitive space technologies.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said Vikram-1 has demonstrated an exceptional level of technological maturity for a
maiden orbital mission. Unlike many first launches across the world that carry only dummy masses,
Vikram-1 carried experimental payloads designed to validate advanced technologies in orbit. The mission
also flew customer payloads and technology demonstrations from Indian and international partners,
reflecting the growing confidence of the global space community in India's commercial launch
capabilities.
The Minister said India's space ecosystem has undergone a remarkable transformation since the landmark
reforms introduced in 2020. From having virtually no private launch ecosystem a few years ago, India
today has over 400 space start-ups, its first space unicorn, and a space economy approaching USD 9
billion, with a national vision of expanding it to nearly USD 44 billion over the next decade. He said the
success of Vikram-1 demonstrates how policy reforms can accelerate innovation, create globally
competitive enterprises and position India among the world's leading space-faring nations.
Built and developed entirely in India, Vikram-1 is the country's first privately developed orbital launch
vehicle with the capability to place up to 350 kilograms into Low Earth Orbit. Standing approximately 22
metres tall, the launch vehicle incorporates several indigenous technological breakthroughs, including
India's first all-carbon composite orbital rocket, a 100 per cent 3D-printed liquid engine powering its
Orbital Adjustment Module, advanced ultra-low-shock pneumatic separation systems and one of the
country's longest monolithic carbon-composite rocket stages. The successful mission validated critical
propulsion, avionics, telemetry, navigation and flight-control systems, laying a strong foundation for
future commercial orbital launch services from India.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said the successful launch of Vikram-1 is far more than the success of a single mission.
It marks the arrival of a new era in which Indian innovation, supported by bold policy reforms and strong
public-private collaboration, will increasingly shape the future of the global space economy. He said the
mission reinforces India's position as a trusted, reliable and technologically advanced partner in the
international space sector.
"For India, the sky is no longer the limit," Dr. Jitendra Singh said.****
NKR/AK/NM
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