Private investment in India’s space sector crosses $618 million, says govt | India News
Private investment in India’s space sector has crossed $618.5 million, with the government issuing 105 authorisations to non-government entities (NGEs) as reforms drive greater private participation in the industry, Space, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Replying to an unstarred question, Singh said private funding has risen nearly six-fold over the past few years, surging to $348.5 million in 2023-24 from $100.5 million in 2021-22, before reaching $618.5 million by March 31, 2026. Of this, $187 million was reported during 2026, while 105 authorisations had been granted to private entities as of July 14, 2026.
The 2020 reforms ended Isro’s near-monopoly over several space activities and created the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) as the sector’s regulator and promoter of private participation.
The minister informed the House that applications for private space activities are evaluated under IN-SPACe’s norms and guidelines, with due consideration to strategic, security and national interests before authorisation is granted.
According to the minister, 17 space startups have so far been authorised by IN-SPACe to undertake space activities. An impact assessment by the regulator found that active space startups have grown from just one in 2014 to more than 400, while private companies have launched more than 30 satellites and flown nearly 45 payloads through platforms such as the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM).
The assessment also noted that Indian space companies are expanding overseas operations and attracting international investment. Under the Earth Observation Public-Private Partnership (EO-PPP), private firms have committed around ₹1,200 crore to develop India’s first privately owned Earth observation satellite constellation.
India’s $618.5 million investment milestone comes just six years after the sector was opened to private players, under space sector reforms introduced in 2020.
Opening the sector to private investment in 2020 allowed startups to build rockets, satellites and launch services, activities that ??were for decades provided by Isro.
The push comes as India seeks to expand its share of the global space economy to $44 billion by 2033, from about $8 billion currently, banking on private investment and commercialisation to compete with established space powers such as the US, Europe and China.
