Skyroot Aerospace, founded by former scientists from the national space agency, is preparing to mark a milestone in India’s private-space history with the unveiling of Vikram-I — its first orbital-class rocket capable of placing satellites into Earth orbit. The unveiling coincides with the inauguration of its new 200,000-square-foot “Infinity Campus,” a state-of-the-art facility for designing, building, integrating and testing launch vehicles, with capacity to build one orbital rocket every month.

The significance of Vikram-I lies not only in its technical promise but also in what it represents: a transition of India’s space ambitions from being largely government-driven to embracing active private-sector participation. Having previously launched a sub-orbital rocket, Skyroot is now vying to enter the orbital-launch segment — potentially opening up India’s space sector to commercial small-satellite launches, global clients, and a broader ecosystem of space innovation. The move is seen as a big boost to India’s space-startup ecosystem, helping scale up manufacturing capabilities, generate skilled jobs, and enhance the nation’s competitiveness in global satellite launch services.