ISRO's engines : Designs , Components & Prototypes.


Larsen & Toubro, JSW, Adani Group and Mahindra are among at least half a dozen home-grown companies or consortiums looking to partner the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on its heavy-lift launch vehicle mark-3 (LVM3), also known as Bahubali, said people aware of the matter.

These private entities are considering plans to submit expressions of interest (EoIs) for technology transfer from ISRO to manufacture and operate LVM3, the people told ET.

Those interested include an alliance between JSW and startup Ethereal Exploration Guild (EtherealX), a consortium led by Nagpur-based Solar Industries, Bharat Forge and Inox India, the people said.

For Inox India, a maker of cryogenic and propellant-handling equipment, a new aerospace certification would allow it to bid for in-flight equipment, including “propellant tanks, which are part of the rocket,” said chief executive Deepak Acharya on a recent earnings call. He termed the EoI for LVM3 manufacturing as a potential opportunity for Inox.

The selected company or consortium will have 42 months, or two realised launch vehicles, to complete the technology-transfer process. It will initially work with ISRO and IN-SPACe to absorb the technology before establishing the necessary infrastructure to independently manufacture LVM3 systems and subsystems.​
 
September 05, 2026

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) demonstrated successful hot test of the Semi-Cryogenic Engine Power Head Test Article (PHTA) at full thrust level of 200Tonne at the ISRO Propulsion Research Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu on September 05, 2026. The Power Head Test Article (PHTA) encompasses all engine systems except thrust chamber. This is the 9th test in a series of hot tests using the PHTA. This is the first time that the PHTA is tested at 100% or full thrust level i.e. 200 tonnes. Previously, the tests were conducted at 47% (94 tonnes), 60% (120 tonnes) and 88% (175 tonnes) thrust levels successfully.

The test proceeded as predicted and all the engine parameters were as expected. The test duration was 35 seconds including operation of the engine powerhead at 200 tonne (100%) thrust level for a duration of 5 seconds. The switch over of propellant supply from a low pressure start tank to medium pressure run tank was also validated in order to enable long duration testing of PHTA in subsequent hot tests.

The Semi-Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (SC120), powered by the 2000 kN-class SE2000 engine, is being developed to replace the current L110 core stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle. The integration of the Semicryogenic stage along with the uprated cryogenic upper stage (C32) will enhance the LVM3 payload capability.​