New Delhi/Hyderabad— Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday virtually inaugurated Skyroot Aerospace’s new Infinity Campus, marking a major milestone for India’s growing private space sector. He also unveiled Vikram-I, the company’s first orbital rocket capable of placing satellites into orbit.
Addressing the event, PM Modi said India’s “historic space reforms” had opened new opportunities for private players, enabling startups like Skyroot to emerge as global competitors. He noted that more than 300 Indian space startups are now active, signalling a vibrant and innovative ecosystem powered by young entrepreneurs.
“The Infinity Campus reflects India’s new mindset, innovation and youth power. Our young innovators, risk-takers and entrepreneurs are reaching new heights,” he said. Modi added that India’s space sector has now become an attractive destination for global investors, with private talent gaining significant international recognition.
He recalled India’s humble space origins — from transporting rocket parts on bicycles — to developing world-class launch vehicles, emphasising that the transformation shows “determination defines destiny.”
Modi said the space sector now spans communication, weather forecasting, urban planning and national security. Guided by this expanding demand, the government introduced sweeping reforms, opened the sector to private companies, launched a new space policy and established IN-SPACe to integrate startups and industry with innovation.
He also indicated that the nuclear sector may be opened to private entities in the future.
Skyroot’s new state-of-the-art facility spans nearly two lakh sq. ft., designed to build, integrate and test multiple launch vehicles. The company aims to manufacture one orbital rocket every month.
Founded by former ISRO scientists and IIT alumni Pawan Chandana and Bharath Daka, Skyroot became India’s first private firm to launch a rocket when it lifted off Vikram-S in November 2022.
An earlier official release said the meteoric rise of private space companies demonstrates the success of the NDA government’s reforms, reinforcing India’s standing as a confident global space power.
Modi also praised the role of ISRO over the decades, noting that its credibility, expertise and technology-sharing with startups have helped transform India into an open, cooperative, innovation-driven space ecosystem.
He said India’s Gen Z engineers, designers, coders and scientists are now developing technologies once considered unimaginable — from propulsion systems to composite materials, advanced rocket stages and satellite platforms. The Prime Minister added that youth-led innovation is driving a “private space revolution” in India.
