Hyderabad: PM Modi inaugurates Skyroot’s Infinity Campus; unveils orbital rocket Vikram-I

Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today unveiled Skyroot’s first orbital rocket, Vikram-I, in Hyderabad.

The orbital launch vehicle has the capability of launching satellites into orbit.

PM Modi also virtually inaugurated Indian space startup Skyroot’s Infinity Campus in Hyderabad.

The state-of-the-art facility will have around 2 lakh square feet of workspace for designing, developing, integrating, and testing multiple launch vehicles, with a capacity to build one orbital rocket every month.

According to Skyroot, the new campus will host end-to-end activities for multiple launch vehicles and expand the start-up’s ability to move from prototype launches to recurring commercial missions

Speaking at the inaugural, Modi said, "India’s space ecosystem is witnessing a major leap today, with the private sector taking flight. Skyroot’s Infinity Campus reflects India’s new mindset, innovation, and above all, the power of its youth."

"India's space journey began with very limited resources, but our aspirations were never limited. There was a time when rocket parts were carried on a bicycle, and today India has proven that, from transporting rocket components on a cycle to developing the world's most reliable launch vehicles, the height of our dreams is determined not by resources, but by our determination. ISRO has given new wings to India's space journey for decades. In terms of credibility, capacity, and value, India has created a distinct identity. We all know how rapidly the space sector is expanding in the changing times." He added.

Company founders Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka have positioned Skyroot as a modular launch provider for the small-satellite market; the Infinity Campus is intended to accelerate that commercialisation and scale manufacturing capacity

Skyroot is India’s leading private space company, founded by Pawan Chandana and Bharath Dhaka, both alumni of the Indian Institutes of Technology and former scientists of ISRO turned entrepreneurs. In November 2022, Skyroot launched its sub-orbital rocket, Vikram-S, becoming the first Indian private company to launch a rocket to space. The rapid rise of private space enterprises is a testament to the success of the transformative reforms carried out by the Government in the last few years, reinforcing India’s leadership as a confident and capable global space power.