PM Modi Unveils India's First Private Orbital Rocket Vikram-I: Know All About It

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled India's first private orbital rocket Vikram 1 developed by the Hyderabad headquartered space startup Skyroot.

The company had developed powerhouse motor Kalam-1200 for Vikram-1 infused with ability to lift the rocket from the launchpad to 50+ km altitude.

Founded in 2018 by Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, Skyroot has built a modular space launch vehicle that caters to the small satellite market. Modular space launch vehicles allow room for flexibility to interchange components as per the needs of the mission and payload.

PM Modi also inaugurated the company's 2,00,000 square feet workspace, which is capable of building one orbital rocket every month.

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This campus will also bolster India’s private space capabilities through designing, developing, integrating and testing multiple launch vehicles

The startup also claims to be the first private company to launch a rocket into space in South Asia. It successfully launched its launch vehicle named Vikram-S in 2022, and is now gearing up to launch its maiden orbital-class launch vehicle called Vikram-1

Highlighting the significance of this moment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The private sector is now making a major leap in India’s space ecosystem. Skyroot’s Infinity campus is the reflection of India’s new thinking, innovation and youth power."

"Today, India is among the fastest-growing domestic aviation markets in the world. Our domestic market is now the third-largest globally. The aspirations of the people of India are reaching the skies," he said.