India became only the third country in the world to achieve a private orbital satellite launch on Saturday, July 18, 2026. Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket successfully lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, placing India alongside the United States and China as the only nations where domestically-founded private companies have independently sent payloads into orbit.
The mission, named “Aagaman”—a Sanskrit word meaning “arrival”—carried satellites to an altitude of approximately 450 kilometres. All four stages of the rocket performed as intended on the maiden flight, and satellite deployment was confirmed shortly after launch. A brief internal hold delayed the liftoff by a few minutes, but the mission proceeded without further issues.
Vikram-1 measures approximately 20 metres in height with a diameter of 1.7 metres. The rocket uses an all-carbon composite body, which reduces weight while maintaining structural integrity. Its engines incorporate 3D-printed components, and the vehicle relies on high-performance solid propellant across its stages. The rocket is designed to carry payloads of up to 350 kilograms to Low Earth Orbit, targeting the fast-growing small satellite market.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the Skyroot team following the launch. He praised the founders, stating they had “planted a new tree in space” and “strengthened a new root on the ground to inspire the next generation.” The rocket also carried symbolic items including a handwritten postcard from the Prime Minister with the words “Vande Mataram,” along with messages from ISRO scientists, Indian astronauts, and Skyroot employees.
Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka founded Skyroot Aerospace in 2018. Both are former ISRO scientists who left the government agency to pursue commercial spaceflight. Both hold engineering degrees and spent years working on propulsion and launch vehicle systems at ISRO before starting their venture. Their goal has been to reduce the cost and turnaround time for satellite launches, making space more accessible to commercial customers.
Skyroot previously broke new ground in November 2022 when its suborbital rocket, Vikram-S, became the first privately built rocket from India to reach space. The Vikram-1 orbital launch represents nearly eight years of development from the founding team.
Skyroot’s success rests on foundations laid by ISRO over decades. The Indian space agency holds several historic firsts. In 2014, India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, known as Mangalyaan, successfully entered Martian orbit. This made India the first nation to reach Mars on its inaugural attempt and only the fourth space agency globally to reach the planet. In August 2023, the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s Vikram lander touched down near the lunar south pole, making India the first country to successfully land in that region of the Moon. In February 2017, ISRO’s PSLV-C37 mission deployed 104 satellites in a single launch, which set a world record at the time.
The agency’s LVM3 heavy-lift rocket has maintained a perfect success record across all its missions. In January 2025, ISRO’s SPADEX mission demonstrated autonomous spacecraft docking and undocking in orbit, making India the fourth nation to achieve this capability with indigenous technology.
Policy changes in recent years have enabled private companies like Skyroot to emerge. The Indian government opened the space sector to private participation, and ISRO has supported startups through access to testing facilities, technical guidance, and technology transfer agreements. Skyroot plans to conduct one or two additional demonstration flights before transitioning to fully commercial operations, with ambitions to eventually launch rockets on a monthly basis.
India’s space economy is projected to grow substantially in the coming years, with estimates suggesting it could reach $44 billion by 2033. Saturday’s launch marks the beginning of a new chapter in India’s space ambitions, with private enterprise now playing a central role alongside the government agency that built the country’s reputation in space.
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