India is poised to emerge as a global hub for small satellite manufacturing and launch, in-orbit manufacturing, and a major player in interplanetary travel, with the country targeting an increase in its share of the global space economy from around 2 per cent now to 8 per cent by 2035, 11 per cent by 2047 and 15 per cent by 2062, said M Ganesh Pillai, Scientific Secretary, Isro.
He was addressing a special plenary session at Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX) 2026, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with Isro. Pillai said that Isro is currently pursuing around 2,000 research and development projects focused on advancing technologies critical to India’s future space ambitions. These include reusable launch vehicles, in-orbit refuelling, intravehicular flight suits and in-situ resource utilisation, among other emerging technologies.
He pointed out that India’s space ecosystem has expanded significantly, with more than 450 space industries and over 440 startups now engaged in the sector. Isro is facilitating greater private-sector participation through the government-owned, company-operated (GOCO) model, under which private industry can manufacture, test and supply components and subsystems using its own facilities and infrastructure. Isro has facilitated nearly 440 technology transfers so far, enabling wider adoption of space technologies.
Pillai said that Indian space companies and startups are increasingly involved across the space value chain, including the manufacture of components and subsystems for launch vehicles and satellites. Isro has also signed more than 300 MoUs with 62 countries and six multinational companies, covering a wide range of areas, including joint satellite missions and the establishment and utilisation of ground stations.
Highlighting the importance of academia in strengthening the country’s space capabilities, he said that Isro currently has around 450 sponsored programmes with academic institutions, while nearly 1,400 programmes have already been completed or are nearing completion. Isro is also promoting sustained collaboration with academia through its Space Technology Incubation Centres and Regional Academic Centres for Space.
AVM Dhananjay Khot, Director (Strategy & Planning), IN-SPACe, said that India’s space sector is only six years into the space reforms, four years into the establishment of IN-SPACe and three years since the announcement of the Indian Space Policy. Yet, within this relatively short period, the industry has progressed from demonstrating technologies to deploying them at scale. He emphasised that the next phase of growth must focus on scaling up capabilities and accelerating the speed of delivery. He identified the 4Cs — Capacity, Capability, Capital and Customer — as key enablers of this transformation: Capacity to design and produce at scale; Capability to develop and deploy advanced technologies; Capital as the driving engine of growth; and Customers whose orders and investments will create the demand needed to sustain and expand the sector.
Raghavendra BM, Joint General Manager, L&T Precision Engineering Systems, said that L&T has expanded its capabilities into launch vehicle manufacturing and, over the past five years, has participated in the production of five PSLVs in collaboration with Isro. He said Isro has developed a robust technological foundation for the country’s space programme, and the next step is to build on this foundation by developing technologies and manufacturing processes that enable scale and cost reduction.
Balaji N, General Manager, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), said that companies such as HAL have three key roles to play in building a strong and self-reliant space ecosystem in India — enabling the growth of startups, undertaking launch vehicle integration, and developing new technologies. As an enabler, HAL is working with startups by partnering with them in the development of their products and technologies. The second role is to build expertise in launch vehicle integration; HAL has already been involved in the production of PSLVs as part of the L&T consortium. The third is to develop and adopt new technologies and capabilities, including those associated with the LVM3 programme.
Nikhil Mallavarapu, Joint Managing Director, Centum Electronics Ltd, said that Centum, which has been part of the space industry for more than 30 years, has evolved from a modest beginning as a component manufacturer to a developer and manufacturer of subsystems and, subsequently, complete systems. This journey, he said, has enabled the company to build both capacity and technological capability. “Tapping into the growing global demand for space products and technologies is inevitable if the Indian space industry is to achieve sustained growth,” he said.
Sanjay Nekkanti, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dhruva Space, said the satellite industry is witnessing a significant shift towards larger spacecraft, with the average satellite mass increasing from around 350 kg to 800 kg and beyond. He said Dhruva Space’s vision is to build satellites in India for global markets and develop the capability for mass production of satellites. “Our vision is to build a high-volume satellite manufacturing capability in India that can serve the growing global demand,” he said.
Naga Bharath Daka, Co-founder, Skyroot Aerospace, said India’s first-of-its-kind space sector reforms and the support extended by Isro enabled Skyroot to successfully develop and launch Vikram-S, the country’s first privately developed rocket to reach orbit. “Everyone at Isro supported us as if it were their own mission,” he said. He said the next phase for the private space sector should be to move from a “first-time-right” approach to an “every-time-right” culture, with robust systems and processes that can consistently replicate successful missions. Skyroot, he said, has built the production capability to support one launch every month, which could contribute significantly to India’s vision of achieving 50 launches a year.
