Parliament Question: Private Sector Participation in the Space Sector

O.I.H. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF SPACE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1686 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2026 PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN THE SPACE SECTOR 1686. SHRI RAHUL SINGH LODHI: SHRI RAMVIR SINGH BIDHURI: DR. PRABHA MALLIKARJUN: Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has reviewed the progress of private sector participation in the space sector following the recent policy reforms; (b) if so, the current status of private sector participation including investment commitments, authorizations granted and major projects undertaken; (c) the details of the safeguards implemented to protect strategic and national security interests while facilitating private sector participation; (d) the measures taken to support space startups alongwith the total number of startups authorized by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACE); (e) the steps taken to promote commercial utilisation of space technologies; and(f) the measures taken to increase India's share in the global space economy? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND IN THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH): **** (a) Yes, the impact assessment has been carried out by the IN-SPACe, the preliminary note on the impact assessment is attached herewith at Annexure-I. (b) In the year 2026, a total investment of $ 187 million have been reported. A total of 108 authorizations, till date, have been granted to Non-Government Entities (NGEs) by IN-SPACe for various space activities which include establishment and operation of satellite/payload, launch of space transportation systems etc. (c) The “Norms, Guidelines and Procedures for Implementation of Indian Space Policy-2023 in respect of Authorization of Space Activities (NGP)” released by IN-SPACe envisages evaluation of the authorization applications with a view of protecting strategic, security, and national interests, among others, while permitting the Space Activities by private entities. Further, IN- SPACe is working on “Safety and Security Guidelines for space activities in India undertaken by the Indian entities”, in consultation with stakeholders.(d) The Government of India, has undertaken various initiatives and schemes to support space startups. The following initiatives and policies have been brought out to boost private sector: i. The Indian Space Policy 2023 in place where roles and responsibilities of all the stakeholders are defined ii. Brought out the liberalized FDI policy iii. Norms, Guidelines and Procedures for obtaining authorization from IN-SPACe are in place iv. Brought out policy for discounted pricing policy to NGEs for ISRO facilitation v. Establishment of Rs. 1000 Cr VC Fund vi. Establishment of Rs. 500 Cr Technology Adoption Fund for the development and commercialization of space technology vii. IN-SPACe Seed Fund Scheme for incubating the idea into the product viii. Facilitation to get access to ISRO facilities and mentorship to handhold the private sector ix. Skill Initiative to fill the gaps in skill requirements x. Establishment of a technical centre to provide testing and simulation of space systems at an affordable cost xi. Enabling transfer of technology from ISRO xii. Opportunity to test for space worthiness through POEM platform xiii. Providing business opportunities through various promotional events such as Space Adoption Awareness Workshop (SAAW), Industry Meets etc.In addition to the above, authorization has been granted to 17 Start-ups to carry out various space activities. (e) In order to promote commercial utilization of space technology, the Government of India has announced the following schemes/initiatives: i. Introduction of a liberalized Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy for the space sector. ii. Implementation of a discounted pricing policy to enable Non-Government Entities (NGEs) to access ISRO facilities. iii. Establishment of a ₹1,000 crore Venture Capital (VC) Fund to support space startups. iv. Launch of the ₹500 crore Technology Adoption Fund (TAF) to accelerate the development, demonstration, and commercialization of indigenous space technologies. v. Facilitation of access to ISRO infrastructure, technical expertise, and mentorship to support private sector growth. vi. Launch of skill development initiatives to address the evolving workforce requirements of the space sector. vii. Establishment of a Technical Centre to provide affordable testing, validation, and simulation facilities for space systems. viii. Enabling transfer of ISRO-developed technologies to industry for commercialization.ix. Providing opportunities to validate space technologies through the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) platform. x. Launch of the "Satellite Bus as a Service (SBaaS)" initiative to develop indigenous satellite platform capabilities and accelerate satellite development. xi. Encouraging State Governments to establish dedicated space manufacturing clusters to strengthen the domestic supply chain, attract investments, and create an integrated space industrial ecosystem. (f) The Government has undertaken proactive measures through the liberalization of the space sector, which are contributing to an increase in India’s share of the global space economy. The various measures are Policy & Regulatory Reforms: i. Implementation of Indian Space Policy–2023. ii. Liberalized FDI policy and development of enabling regulations, guidelines Infrastructure Development: i. Expansion of ISRO facilities with access to NGEs. ii. Establishment of the IN-SPACe Technical Centre and Space Manufacturing Clusters with shared infrastructure support. Skill Development: i. Industry-oriented space courses, student immersion programmes, and capacity building initiatives.ii. Designed and developed 14 short term skill development courses covering each aspect of Space sector. Access to Capital: i. ₹1,000 crore Venture Capital Fund. ii. ₹500 crore Technology Adoption Fund for technology commercialization. iii. Promotion of start-up funding and R&D support. Technology & Capability Development: i. ISRO technology transfers, including SSLV. ii. Encouraging indigenous R&D and innovation. Demand Generation: i. Earth Observation PPP and Proof-of-Concept programmes. ii. Promotion of space technology adoption across Government sectors. International Collaboration and Global Market Access: i. Strengthening international partnerships with leading space- faring nations through bilateral and multilateral cooperation. ii. Facilitating global market access by supporting participation in international space events, business forums, and B2B engagements. iii. Expanding collaboration with emerging space markets to enhance exports, technology partnerships, and global supply chain integration. ****Annexure - I ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1686 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2026 OUTCOMES A maturing private space economy Six years after the reforms in June 2020 opened space to private players, the results are measurable. Active space start-ups have grown from just 1 in 2014 to over 400 today, private investment has crossed $600 million, and India's private space sector has demonstrated real launch and orbital capability - two companies have flown sub-orbital launch vehicles (in November 2022 and May 2024), NGEs have placed more than 30 satellites in orbit, and ~45 payloads are in space through platforms like PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM). Space economy: Investment growth, a broader investor base, and FDI Private capital has grown and broadened at the same time. Cumulative funding crossed $100.5 million in 2021-22, reached $348.5 million in 2023-24, and stood at $618.5 million by 31 March 2026, with the mix shifting from early seed cheques toward growth-stage rounds. The investor base driving India's space ecosystem has expanded far beyond early angels, with sovereign wealth funds, global asset managers, and strategic corporates now sitting side-by-side on cap tables. This maturing landscape propelled Skyroot Aerospace to become the sector's first unicorn with backing from GIC and BlackRock, while Digantara secured a $50 million round drawing in Japan’s SBI Investment, and Pixxel gained the backing of global techgiant Alphabet. The momentum has accelerated into 2026, highlighted by Agnikul Cosmos adding $2.7 million in equity alongside a historic ₹25 Crore investment from the Tamil Nadu government, GalaxEye raising over $11 million across multiple early-year rounds, and Dhruva Space securing ₹105 Crores ($12.5 million) in May to rapidly scale its satellite constellation capabilities. While these high-profile success stories reflect immense commercial traction, they represent just a small glimpse into a much larger, vibrant, and rapidly expanding national space ecosystem. A year of private missions: collaboration and confidence, at home and abroad Over the past year Indian firms have proven their expertise, often flying alongside international partners. In January 2025 Pixxel, Digantara, and XDLINX Spacelabs reached orbit together; Pixxel added three more satellites on a Falcon 9 that August to complete the first phase of its six-satellite Firefly constellation, now the highest- resolution commercial hyperspectral system in service. Dhruva Space flew its Thybolt-3 and LEAP-1 missions and supported collaborative flights such as MOI-1 and LACHIT. Firms including Bellatrix, Galaxeye, Grahaa Space, HEX-20, Takeme2space, OrbitAid and many more have also successfully demonstrated private sector orbital capabilities. On the launch vehicle and propulsion front, Agnikul test-fired its 3D- printed semi-cryogenic engine, and Skyroot tested a solid motor for its Vikram rocket at an ISRO facility. The POEM has revolutionized space qualification, providing startups and academic institutions with a highly accessible, low-cost platform for in-orbit validation. The fourth POEM module carried payloads fromGalaxEye, Bellatrix, Takeme2Space, PierSight Space, Manastu Space, NSpace Tech beside ISRO and academic experiments. Commercial reach is widening too. Digantara is opening offices in the United States and Europe and works with agencies in Singapore and the UK, while Pixxel supplies hyperspectral data to customers across several continents. IN-SPACe holds working relationships with more than 45 countries and has signed three cooperation agreements with foreign space agencies. At home, its EO-PPP concession brought Pixxel, Dhruva Space, SatSure and PierSight together as Allied Orbits to build India's first privately owned Earth-observation constellation with 12 multimodal satellites over five years to provide high-resolution sovereign data, on a private commitment of around ₹1,200 crore. *****