Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 is presented as India’s first successful orbital flight by a private company. The launch is an engineering milestone, but the larger question is whether India can turn that capability into a durable commercial launch business.
What happened
Background and earlier position
India’s launch sector earlier functioned under a state-dominant model in which the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) held the main launch role and private firms largely acted as suppliers. Since 2020, policy reforms and the Indian Space Policy, 2023 have opened more roles for commercial players.
Policy steps have increased the scope for private participation in launch vehicles, including a higher share of foreign direct investment through the automatic route.
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