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ARTICLE · 30 JULY 2025

New Space Race: Indian States Breaking Orbit

Khaitan & Co.
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Indian space sector has historically been government-controlled, with Indian Space Research Organisation ("ISRO") functioning as the primary driver of all space activities.

IndiaGovernment, Public Sector
Sanchit Agarwal
Sanchit Agarwal
Pulkit Chaturvedi
Pulkit Chaturvedi
Jubin Jay
Jubin Jay
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PART A | Breaking Free: India's Space Sector Moves Beyond the UNION

Indian space sector has historically been government-controlled, with Indian Space Research Organisation ("ISRO") functioning as the primary driver of all space activities. During this period, ISRO focused intensely on developing indigenous capabilities, a strategy that fostered self-reliance in critical space technologies for India.

This has undergone a profound and rapid transformation, shifting from a government-dominated structure to a vibrant, commercially driven, and innovation-led ecosystem, where private entities have played an extremely crucial role. This is evidenced by the exponential growth in the number of space startups in India, which has risen from a single entity in 2022 to nearly 200 by 2024, representing a staggering 200 fold increase in just 3 years.1

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