PM Modi, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh and Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai hail Skyroot Aerospace’s historic achievement, saying the mission marks a major boost to India’s global space ambitions and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
TFP Bureau, New Delhi/Raipur, July 18,2026: India scripted a new chapter in its space journey on Saturday as Skyroot Aerospacesuccessfully launched Vikram-1, the country’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle, into Low Earth Orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The landmark mission established India as a serious global player in the commercial space sector and showcased the success of the country’s space-sector reforms that opened the industry to private participation.
The successful Mission Aagaman made Skyroot Aerospace the first Indian private company to achieve an orbital launch from Indian soil, signalling a major milestone for India’s rapidly expanding space economy. Developed entirely in India, the four-stage launch vehicle is capable of placing payloads of up to 350 kilograms into Low Earth Orbit and incorporates several indigenous technologies, including India’s first all-carbon composite orbital rocket and a 100 per cent 3D-printed liquid engine for its Orbital Adjustment Module.
Congratulating the Skyroot Aerospace team ahead of the launch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Vikram-1 as a “historic new frontier” in India’s space journey. He said the mission reflects the country’s growing strength in innovation, technology and entrepreneurship while demonstrating how space-sector reforms are creating new opportunities for Indian start-ups. The Prime Minister urged citizens, particularly the youth, to witness the historic mission and extended his best wishes to the entire Skyroot team.
Following the successful launch, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Space Dr. Jitendra Singh, who witnessed the mission from Sriharikota, termed the achievement a powerful validation of Prime Minister Modi’s landmark reforms in the space sector. He said India has now emerged as a serious global space power and that the success of Vikram-1 has significantly strengthened the country’s position in the international commercial launch market.
Dr. Singh congratulated Skyroot Aerospace, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), and the Department of Space for creating a robust public-private partnership model that enabled the historic achievement. He said that without the bold decision to open the space sector to private enterprise in 2020, such a milestone would not have been possible.
Highlighting India’s remarkable progress, the Minister said the country has grown from virtually no private space ecosystem a few years ago to more than 400 space start-ups, its first space unicorn, and a space economy valued at nearly USD 9 billion. He said the government aims to expand the sector to around USD 44 billion over the next decade.
Dr. Singh noted that unlike many maiden launches worldwide, Vikram-1 successfully carried experimental payloads to validate advanced technologies in orbit, along with customer payloads from Indian and international partners. The mission validated critical propulsion, avionics, telemetry, navigation and flight-control systems, laying the foundation for future commercial orbital launch services from India.
Calling the mission the beginning of a new era, Dr. Singh said India is now poised to become a trusted global partner in space technology and commercial launch services. “For India, the sky is no longer the limit,” he remarked.
Joining the nationwide celebrations, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai congratulated Skyroot Aerospace on the successful launch, describing it as a historic milestone in India’s space journey and a significant step towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The Chief Minister said the success of Vikram-1 reflects India’s rapidly growing scientific capabilities, innovation ecosystem and technological excellence. He credited the achievement to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government’s policy reforms encouraging private participation in the space sector. Shri Sai extended his best wishes to the entire Skyroot Aerospace team and expressed confidence that the achievement would take India to new heights in space technology while inspiring a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.
