Digantara: A New Era in Space Surveillance for India

Digantara, a Bengaluru-based space-tech startup, is leading India’s first private Space Situational Awareness initiative. The company aims to monitor, track, and manage the complex and hazardous environment of space. Digantara’s solution is a seamless, space-based surveillance network that offers continuous, high-resolution data on everything that moves in orbit. The company has successfully launched its first space situational payload on ISRO’s PSLV-C55 mission in 2023 and launched Space-MAP, India’s first commercial Space Mission Assurance Platform in 2024.

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Aadyah Aerospace: India Self-Reliance in Space & Defense Engineering

Aadyah Aerospace, founded by Shaju Stephen in 2016, is a leading player in India’s aerospace and defense engineering sector. The company specializes in high-reliability satellite components, unmanned aerial systems, and advanced launch-support hardware. Under Stephen’s leadership, Aadyah Aerospace is shaping India’s space ecosystem with innovation and precision engineering. The company has expanded into satellite subsystems, designing lightweight bus structures and deployers to reduce launch costs. Aadyah Aerospace has forged partnerships with public and private sector players to advance indigenous satellite technologies. Under Stephen’s leadership, the company is scaling up to tackle larger projects and accelerating innovation across India’s aerospace ecosystem.

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S. Ravichandran: The Force Behind Agnikul Cosmos

Srinath Ravichandran, an aerospace engineer, co-founded Agnikul Cosmos in 2017 to address the global need for flexible, affordable, and on-demand access to space. The company focuses on modular, customizable launch vehicles designed for small satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO). The flagship rocket, Agnibaan, is a two-stage vehicle capable of carrying up to 100 kg to LEO. Agnikul’s engines are manufactured quickly using additive manufacturing (3D printing), reducing time-to-launch and mission costs. The company has achieved milestones such as raising ₹23.4 crore in pre-Series A funding, successfully testing Agnilet, and raising $11 million in Series A funding. Agnikul Cosmos is also the first private company to sign a framework agreement with ISRO and IN-SPACe for access to launchpads, testing facilities, and technical guidance.

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Pawan Kumar Chandana: Fueling India’s Private Space Dream

India’s space ambitions are soaring, with Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-Founder, CEO, and CTO of Skyroot Aerospace, leading the way. Chandana, a former ISRO scientist and IIT Kharagpur alumnus, has been instrumental in shaping the country’s position in the global space race. With the motto “Open Space for All,” Skyroot aims to democratize space exploration. The company has raised US$4.3 million since its inception and has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Dhruva Space. The Department of Space has signed an agreement with Skyroot Aerospace for access to ISRO’s facilities and expertise for testing sub-systems and systems of launch vehicles. Skyroot has developed 3D-printed engines, cryogenic engines powered by LNG and LOX, modular rocket stages, and all-composite structures for lightweight, high-performance rockets. The company is now gearing up for its next milestone — the Vikram-I orbital launch.

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