9 Indian Startups That Are Taking India’s Space Industry To The Next Level
India has showcased its potential in the area of space technology in the recent years. Here are 9 startups that are revolutionising the space tech of the country.
1.Exseed Space:
Exseed Space was established in 2017 with a vision to become a leader in the manufacturing of spacecrafts. They develop small satellite platforms with a primary focus on assembly, integration, testing and operation of satellites. They build satellites more cost-effectively than the others in the market and build them using a mix of proven expertise and cutting-edge technology. They help with issues ranging from defining what is possible in what kind of budget, to obtaining your payload – optical, communication or otherwise from the right vendors around the world, to building the boxes and launching them vis space launchers, to getting data from them while they’re in flight, to having that data cleaned, analysed and pushed to your desktops and mobile phones.
Exeed Space is developing small satellite platforms with a primary focus on assembly, integration, testing and operation of satellites, their focus areas being:
Last December, the company became the first private company to put a satellite in space.
Founder: Kris Nair
2.Dhruva Space
Founded in the year 2012, Dhruva Space is a private space company based in Bangalore. Its objective is to lead the turnkey spacecraft development private industry in India. Dhruva has also signed an MoU to develop the followup mission to HAMSAT-1 launched in 2005 by How Antrix Is Monetising ISRO’s Core StrengthsISRO, to serve the societal needs in disaster management, amateur/emergency radio communication and education. They are currently working towards the establishment of an AIT for microsatellites in Bengaluru. The company has collaborated with various national and international organisations from the space sector, including Germany’s Berlin Space Technologies and Australia’s Saber Astronautics.
Sanjay Nekkanti of Dhruva Space
Founders: Sanjay Nekkanti, Narayan Prasad, and Abhishek Raju.
3.Earth2Orbit (E2O)
Founded in the year 2007, Earth2Orbit claims to be India’s first private space firm. The aerospace company offers space launch advisory and consulting services. Its goal is to be a leader in India¹s emerging private enterprise for space exploration and utilization. E2O is in Mumbai, Bangalore, Trivandrum and Ahmedabad parts of the country and also has international satellite offices in San Francisco and Vienna, complemented by an international sales network. E2O products and services include satellite and launch services, human space systems, robotic systems, infrastructure and aerospace consulting.
Founders: Sushmita Mohanty
4.Astrome
Astrome technologies was founded in 2015 and is a space startup by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The startup is fairly new to this league and aims to develop products and services which aid in space exploration.
Founder: Prasad HL and Neha Satak.
5.TeamIndus
TeamIndus has a very interesting founding story. The team had come together in the year 2010 with the aim of winning the Google Lunar X Prize competition, which was announced in 2007. Although the competition ended in 2018 without a winner, TeamIndus is still working towards developing and launching their lunar rover mission sometime in 2019. TeamIndus’ lander is code-named HHK1, and their rover is called Ek Choti Si Asha (ECA).
Founder: Rahul Narayan
6. Kawa Space
Based out of Mumbai, Kawa Space helps in building space products from scratch. It is built to take a space mission idea from end to end. The team lead India’s first private space mission, and won the contract to build over 27 satellites for ISRO. The team has helped everyone from tiny startups to Fortune 50 companies build space missions, from a simple technology demonstration mission to complex constellations.
Founder: Kris Nair
7. Applied Research and Development Laboratories (ARDL)
Founded at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) , the team of ARDL comprises of
ARDL is comprised of young and enthusiastic members coming from all domains like Aerospace, Communication, IT, Electronics, Instrumentation and more who believe in interdisciplinary research and have worked together for the past 5 years on nano projects and presented various research papers related to it. The company currently fabricates Mini CANSAT modules and other related space hardware.
Founders: The team has Sidhant Dhall who has had 5 years of research experience at IISc as the team lead. The other members are Ayush Patawari, Gaurav Achha and Triyambak Tripathy.
8.Xovian
Founded in 2011, Xovian is an Aerospace Company based in New Delhi with a vision to provide low-cost sustainable solutions in satellite fabrication. The team at Xovian has decades of experience in satellite technology. It is also a member of the International Astronautical Federation International Astronautical Federation (IAF). Apart from satellite solutions, the company also conducts Educational and Research-based activities to bridge the innovation gap between industries and educational institutions. Xovian has escalated into the fields of CANSAT, sounding rockets, high altitude balloons and satellite components manufacturing.
Team Xovian with Dr. K. Sivan, Chairman of ISRO.
Founders: Raghav Sharma, Ankit Bhateja.
9.Bellatrix Aerospace
Bellatrix Aerospace is a research and development company developing orbital launch vehicles and electric propulsion systems for satellites. It was established in the year 2015, this Mysore-based startup believes that a revolution in space technology is what it takes to change the world we live in. In the field of satellite propulsion, Bellatrix offers to reduce satellite mission cost through its patented electric propulsion systems. Bellatrix is dedicated to offer its customers high reliability, short wait periods and competitive costs. Bellatrix is in the process of developing two rockets ‘Garuda’ and ‘Chetak’ which will use next-gen construction material such as carbon composites to make them low-cost as well as reusable. It has also patented an electric satellite propulsion system called Microwave Electro-thermal Thruster (MET), which it claims is more efficient than traditional chemical thrusters and lasts longer.
Founders: Rohan M Ganapathy.
India has showcased its potential in the area of space technology in the recent years. Here are 9 startups that are revolutionising the space tech of the country.
1.Exseed Space:
Exseed Space was established in 2017 with a vision to become a leader in the manufacturing of spacecrafts. They develop small satellite platforms with a primary focus on assembly, integration, testing and operation of satellites. They build satellites more cost-effectively than the others in the market and build them using a mix of proven expertise and cutting-edge technology. They help with issues ranging from defining what is possible in what kind of budget, to obtaining your payload – optical, communication or otherwise from the right vendors around the world, to building the boxes and launching them vis space launchers, to getting data from them while they’re in flight, to having that data cleaned, analysed and pushed to your desktops and mobile phones.
Exeed Space is developing small satellite platforms with a primary focus on assembly, integration, testing and operation of satellites, their focus areas being:
- Contract Satellite Manufacturing:
- Communication Satellite Constellations:
Last December, the company became the first private company to put a satellite in space.
Founder: Kris Nair
2.Dhruva Space
Founded in the year 2012, Dhruva Space is a private space company based in Bangalore. Its objective is to lead the turnkey spacecraft development private industry in India. Dhruva has also signed an MoU to develop the followup mission to HAMSAT-1 launched in 2005 by How Antrix Is Monetising ISRO’s Core StrengthsISRO, to serve the societal needs in disaster management, amateur/emergency radio communication and education. They are currently working towards the establishment of an AIT for microsatellites in Bengaluru. The company has collaborated with various national and international organisations from the space sector, including Germany’s Berlin Space Technologies and Australia’s Saber Astronautics.
Founders: Sanjay Nekkanti, Narayan Prasad, and Abhishek Raju.
3.Earth2Orbit (E2O)
Founded in the year 2007, Earth2Orbit claims to be India’s first private space firm. The aerospace company offers space launch advisory and consulting services. Its goal is to be a leader in India¹s emerging private enterprise for space exploration and utilization. E2O is in Mumbai, Bangalore, Trivandrum and Ahmedabad parts of the country and also has international satellite offices in San Francisco and Vienna, complemented by an international sales network. E2O products and services include satellite and launch services, human space systems, robotic systems, infrastructure and aerospace consulting.
Founders: Sushmita Mohanty
4.Astrome
Astrome technologies was founded in 2015 and is a space startup by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The startup is fairly new to this league and aims to develop products and services which aid in space exploration.
Founder: Prasad HL and Neha Satak.
5.TeamIndus
TeamIndus has a very interesting founding story. The team had come together in the year 2010 with the aim of winning the Google Lunar X Prize competition, which was announced in 2007. Although the competition ended in 2018 without a winner, TeamIndus is still working towards developing and launching their lunar rover mission sometime in 2019. TeamIndus’ lander is code-named HHK1, and their rover is called Ek Choti Si Asha (ECA).
Founder: Rahul Narayan
6. Kawa Space
Based out of Mumbai, Kawa Space helps in building space products from scratch. It is built to take a space mission idea from end to end. The team lead India’s first private space mission, and won the contract to build over 27 satellites for ISRO. The team has helped everyone from tiny startups to Fortune 50 companies build space missions, from a simple technology demonstration mission to complex constellations.
Founder: Kris Nair
7. Applied Research and Development Laboratories (ARDL)
Founded at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) , the team of ARDL comprises of
ARDL is comprised of young and enthusiastic members coming from all domains like Aerospace, Communication, IT, Electronics, Instrumentation and more who believe in interdisciplinary research and have worked together for the past 5 years on nano projects and presented various research papers related to it. The company currently fabricates Mini CANSAT modules and other related space hardware.
Founders: The team has Sidhant Dhall who has had 5 years of research experience at IISc as the team lead. The other members are Ayush Patawari, Gaurav Achha and Triyambak Tripathy.
8.Xovian
Founded in 2011, Xovian is an Aerospace Company based in New Delhi with a vision to provide low-cost sustainable solutions in satellite fabrication. The team at Xovian has decades of experience in satellite technology. It is also a member of the International Astronautical Federation International Astronautical Federation (IAF). Apart from satellite solutions, the company also conducts Educational and Research-based activities to bridge the innovation gap between industries and educational institutions. Xovian has escalated into the fields of CANSAT, sounding rockets, high altitude balloons and satellite components manufacturing.
Founders: Raghav Sharma, Ankit Bhateja.
9.Bellatrix Aerospace
Bellatrix Aerospace is a research and development company developing orbital launch vehicles and electric propulsion systems for satellites. It was established in the year 2015, this Mysore-based startup believes that a revolution in space technology is what it takes to change the world we live in. In the field of satellite propulsion, Bellatrix offers to reduce satellite mission cost through its patented electric propulsion systems. Bellatrix is dedicated to offer its customers high reliability, short wait periods and competitive costs. Bellatrix is in the process of developing two rockets ‘Garuda’ and ‘Chetak’ which will use next-gen construction material such as carbon composites to make them low-cost as well as reusable. It has also patented an electric satellite propulsion system called Microwave Electro-thermal Thruster (MET), which it claims is more efficient than traditional chemical thrusters and lasts longer.
Founders: Rohan M Ganapathy.