India has about 440 space tech startups, 18 authorised by IN-SPACe

India has approximately 440 space technology startups registered, according to the DPIIT Start-up India Portal. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has granted 113 authorisations to 52 Non-Government Entities (NGEs) to conduct various space activities.

Among these, 18 are identified as start-ups, Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply earlier this week. Applications for use and access to ISRO infrastructure, including the launch pads at ISRO’s Satish.

What Happened

An Expert Committee of IN-SPACe reviews the readiness aspects, the minister stated. To facilitate this, the government established IN-SPACe as a single-window, independent nodal agency operating as an autonomous body within the Department of Space.

• Indian private companies plan to launch two commercial rockets in the fiscal year 2026-27.

• The launch manifest for fiscal year 2027-28 is pending approval by IN-SPACe, with expectations of over six launches by Indian private firms.

• Government data indicates that private investment in India’s space sector has increased nearly six-fold, rising from USD 100.5 million in 2021-22 to USD 618.5 million by March 31, 2026.

Key Details

Of this amount, USD 187 million was invested during 2026 alone.

• In June 2020, the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, resolved to open the space sector to enable private sector participation across all space activities.

• By mid-2026, IN-SPACe had authorised 113 permissions to 52 Non-Government Entities, including 18 start-ups, for satellite operations, payload establishment, and launch services.

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What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by The News Mill as more details emerge