Skyroot’s Vikram-1 becomes India’s first private orbital rocket to launch

India’s first private orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1, carrying multiple technology demonstration payloads and a postcard from prime minister Narendra Modi, lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Saturday, marking a milestone for the country’s commercial space sector.

The launch, named Mission Aagaman (arrival), was carried out by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace.

The seven-storey-tall, four-stage Vikram-1 rocket lifted off from the first launch pad at 12.05 pm on Saturday after a planned hold due to apparent navigation issues delayed the launch by 35 minutes from its originally scheduled time of 11.30 am.

Following a flight of just under 16 minutes, Vikram-1 is expected to place multiple domestic and international technology demonstration payloads into a Low Earth Orbit at an altitude of 450 km with an inclination of 60 degrees.

Vikram-1 Test Flight-1’s journey from lift-off at the historic first launch pad in Sriharikota 🚀#Vikram1 #OpeningSpaceForAll #SkyrootAerospace pic.twitter.com/DNMOyrdLjF

— Skyroot Aerospace (@SkyrootA) July 18, 2026

Named after Vikram Sarabhai, who is regarded as the father of India’s space programme, Vikram-1 has been built with an all-carbon composite structure and is powered by propulsion systems developed in-house, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel rocket boosters.

The rocket is carrying payloads from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve, DCubed and Skyroot’s own SCOPE satellite, along with an artwork titled ‘Cosmic Bloom’.

Vikram-1 is India’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle and is capable of placing payloads weighing up to 350 kg into Low Earth Orbit. Orbital launch vehicles deploy satellites into stable Earth orbits for communication, navigation, Earth observation and scientific research.

The Mission Aagaman launch window was scheduled between July 12 and August 4, 2026. The mission is expected to validate India’s indigenous commercial launch capability and demonstrate the impact of reforms introduced under the Indian Space Policy 2023.

Along with Skyroot’s SCOPE satellite, the mission is carrying DCUBED’s technology demonstration payload, Grahaa Space’s SOLARAS S3 satellite and Cosmoserve Space’s Embrace, a robotic arm designed to capture orbital debris.

The maiden flight also carries two symbolic payloads — ‘Cosmic Bloom’, a floral-shaped artwork, and an 18-karat gold micro-rocket featuring microscopic sculptures of C. V. Raman, Vikram Sarabhai and A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, each smaller than a grain of rice.

The launch comes amid rapid expansion of India’s private space sector following government reforms. The Indian Space Policy 2023 opened the entire space value chain to private participation, allowing non-government entities to participate in satellite manufacturing, launch services, space applications and downstream services.

India’s space startup ecosystem has grown from one startup in 2014 to more than 400 in 2026.

The country’s space economy, currently valued at about USD 8.4 billion, is projected to grow to USD 40-45 billion by 2030 and is targeted to reach USD 100 billion by 2040, supported by government policies, public-private partnerships and increasing private investment.

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), established as the single-window regulator for the sector, has been authorised to promote and regulate space activities by government entities and non-government entities. As of June 2026, IN-SPACe had registered more than 4,500 organisations, issued 133 authorisations and signed 106 Memoranda of Understanding.

As of February 2026, IN-SPACe had facilitated USD 150 million in investments into Indian space startups during calendar year 2025, with the top 10 startups securing a confirmed order book of the same value. By June 2026, it had also facilitated 118 technology transfer agreements and signed 189 Joint Project Implementation Plans, Technology Partnership Agreements and Business Partnership Agreements.

The government has also introduced several funding initiatives to support the sector, including the IN-SPACe Seed Fund Scheme, which provides grants of up to Rs 1 crore to eligible startups and MSMEs developing space technologies.

A Rs 1,000 crore venture capital fund under IN-SPACe is being deployed over five years from FY 2025-26 to FY 2029-30 to support early-stage space startups, with annual investments ranging from Rs 100 crore to Rs 250 crore.

In addition, the Rs 500 crore Technology Adoption Fund supports the commercialisation of indigenous space technologies by funding up to 60 per cent of project costs for startups and MSMEs and up to 40 per cent for large industries, subject to a maximum of Rs 25 crore per project.

The Indian Space Policy 2023 also strengthened the role of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) as ISRO’s commercial arm. NSIL manufactures and procures space systems on commercial principles, delivers end-to-end space solutions and supports private participation through PSLV productionisation, satellite technology transfer and commercial space services.

As of December 2025, more than 70 Technology Transfer Agreements had enabled the transfer of ISRO-developed technologies to industry. By July 2026, NSIL had launched 141 satellites, including 138 international or customer satellites and three Indian satellites.

The government has also liberalised foreign direct investment rules for the space sector, allowing up to 74 per cent automatic FDI in satellite manufacturing and operations, 49 per cent automatic FDI in launch vehicles and spaceports, and 100 per cent automatic FDI in the manufacturing of satellite components and subsystems.

The reforms are aimed at increasing investment, promoting technology transfer and strengthening India’s position in the global commercial space industry, with Mission Aagaman representing a key milestone in the country’s expanding private space ecosystem.