Latest news with #SSLV
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Business Standard
13-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Isro to industry: Tech transfers fueling private sector's orbital lift-off
Isro's tech expertise has found wider uses. Now, IN-SPACe is driving deeper tech transfers to power the private sector's orbital lift-off Shine Jacob Chennai Listen to This Article India's space ambitions are on an upward trajectory, and now private collaborations are propelling them further through transfer of technology. Late last month, the Department of Space, through its nodal agency — the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) — announced the transfer of Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro's) small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) technology to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for ₹511 crore. The landmark move was one of the first instances of the Indian space agency fully transferring a launch vehicle technology to an industry player. This signals a strategic shift in India's space programme as it
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
SSLV acquisition strategic, we'll look at redesign in future: HAL
BENGALURU: Defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd 's (HAL) winning Rs 511 crore bid for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) wasn't just about cost — it was a strategic move to own design capabilities and begin charting an independent path in India's launch vehicle ecosystem. The bid, which was significantly higher than competing offers in the Rs 250–310 crore range, was deliberate, HAL CMD DK Sunil told TOI in an interview. 'Our internal estimates were close to what we quoted — slightly lower, but in that range. This is a long-term play. We didn't want to just manufacture. We wanted to understand the rocket, build a cadre, and eventually modify the design ourselves,' he added. Unlike HAL's earlier collaborations with L&T on the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), the SSLV project marks a shift. It's a full transfer of technology (ToT) agreement, with HAL taking sole responsibility — not just for manufacturing, but also for absorbing the design and systems architecture. The formal agreement with Space PSU NewSpace India Ltd (Nsil) is expected to be signed by the end of July, after which HAL will begin building two SSLV prototypes. Sunil sees this as a beginning. 'The idea is to take baby steps. We want to understand avionics, structures, rocket parts, the entire stack. It's not about redesigning in two or three years. But ten years down the line, yes, I would be very happy if HAL builds a rocket from scratch.' The move comes as demand for launch vehicles catering to low-Earth orbit (LEO) small satellite constellations rises — both in the commercial and strategic sectors. HAL's interest in SSLV is not just about assembling hardware, but about developing a future-facing business vertical in rocketry. The immediate focus is on learning and integration, but the eventual goal is autonomy in design and adaptability to different mission profiles. Meanwhile, HAL-L&T work on the PSLV is expected to achieve a milestone later this year. The first rocket built entirely by industry is expected to launch around Oct-Nov 2025. The contract is purely for fabrication, using Isro's design and established supply chain. Even so, it has seen initial delays. 'There were some issues with sourcing materials, and the external environment has contributed to some slowdown,' Sunil admitted. 'But integration is under way. These are still early days, but we're now in better shape,' he added. Despite the differences in scope, HAL's engagement with both PSLV and SSLV signals a broader repositioning of the aerospace PSU — from being a supplier of structures to becoming a deeper stakeholder in space systems. The SSLV project, in particular, marks the beginning of HAL's ambition to design, adapt, and one day build rockets of its own. 'It's a journey,' said Sunil. 'Like how we built our aircraft capability over decades. We are starting that journey now for space.'
India Gazette
30-06-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
India to speed up launch of military satellites media
New Delhi is aiming to enhance its space-based surveillance capabilities to deal with potential conflicts India has fast-tracked the deployment of 52 surveillance satellites to enhance its space-based defense capabilities, according to media reports on Monday. The rollout is expected to begin with the launch of the first satellite in April 2026, and the entire constellation is slated to be fully operational by the end of 2029, India Today reported. The $3.57 billion project aims to provide real-time monitoring and improve border security, it added. Once deployed, the satellite constellation will offer high-resolution imagery and reduced revisit times, enabling India's army, navy, and air force to closely monitor movements within hostile territory. Indian space agency officials have said the country aims tomitigate threatsby deploying a diverse array of satellites in different orbits that are capable of tracking the movement of troops and photographing thousands of kilometers along the borders with neighboring China and Pakistan. In its recent military confrontation with Pakistan, India is believed to have used indigenous and commercial satellite-based tracking to destroy suspected terror bases in the neighboring country, local media reports said. India's Integrated Defense Staff is overseeing the development of the 52 defense surveillance satellites, which will operate in both low Earth orbit and geostationary orbit, according to reports. The satellite network is designed to serve as a strategic deterrent and countermeasure to China's advancing anti-satellite capabilities, including kinetic weapons and electronic warfare systems. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, chief of the Integrated Defense Staff, was cited by India Today as saying that the country should be able to "detect, identify, and track potential threats" while they are still in their early stages, such as in launch areas, airfields, and bases located deep within enemy territory. A key aspect of the project is the significant involvement of private industry, as the state-owned Indian Space Research Organization intends to transfer its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) technology to private firms, allowing for swift launches in emergency situations. (
India Today
30-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
India fast-tracks launch of 52 military satellites after Operation Sindoor
India is fast-tracking the launch of 52 defence surveillance satellites to enhance its space-based surveillance capabilities, particularly along its borders with China and Pakistan, and in the Indian Ocean Region. The Rs 26,968 crore project aims to provide real-time monitoring and improve border security. The initiative is a response to China's growing military space capabilities. Under Phase 3 of the Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) initiative, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch 21 satellites, while three private firms will develop and deploy the remaining 31. advertisement The first satellite in this constellation is scheduled to launch in April 2026, with full deployment targeted by the end of constellation will provide high-resolution imagery and faster revisit times to assist India's Army, Navy and Air Force in tracking enemy movements deep within adversary territory. Notably, the project marks a significant role for private industry, as ISRO plans to transfer Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) technology to enable rapid launches during of Integrated Defence Staff, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, recently talked about the strategic imperative of detecting threats at their source and said, 'We must detect, identify and track potential threats not when they approach our borders, but when they are still in their staging areas, airfields and bases, deep within an adversary's territory.'The Integrated Defence Staff is overseeing the project which will focus on both low Earth and geostationary orbits. The satellite network also serves as a deterrent and counter to China's evolving anti-satellite capabilities, including kinetic weapons and electronic warfare recent Operation Sindoor highlighted the value of indigenous and commercial satellite-based tracking.- EndsTune In
The Hindu
23-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Indian private sector in ‘developing' stage: Jitendra Singh
India's private sector was still in a developing stage and would need some time to acquire the 'acumen' to make space vehicles or have biotechnology start-ups grow large enough to invite interest from the public markets, Minister for Science, Space and Atomic Energy Dr. Jitendra Singh said at a press conference on Monday (June 23, 2025). 'We need a robust, developed private sector. There are some that's also because past policy has not favoured the robust development of the private sector. It is only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came that this has started happening. The space sector opened up to the private sector only four to five years ago, and so their capacity building has started only just now. Several projects have been rolled out, but we don't have the private sector acumen. This will take time, but there is now a shift in the policy,' said Dr. Singh. He was responding to a question from The Hindu on why, despite the government's multiple claims of championing private sector participation in the space sector, no private company was selected to manufacture the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). Last week, public sector defence company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) bagged a Transfer of Technology (ToT) deal, valued at ₹511 crore from the Indian Space Research Organisation to build and operate Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLVs). Bidding for SSLV The SSLV is a three-stage vehicle to launch satellites that weigh less than 500 kg into the lower earth orbit (LEO). Apart from the HAL, which had applied independently, two other technically qualified bidders were shortlisted: Alpha Design Technologies Ltd. (ADT), Bengaluru, leading a consortium with Agnikul Cosmos and Walchand Industries Ltd.; and Bharat Dynamics Ltd., Hyderabad, leading a consortium with Skyroot Aerospace, Keltron and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). ADT is a subsidiary of the Adani conglomerate. Among the three, the HAL emerged as the highest bidder. Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, which oversees the BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) programme that funds biotechnology start-ups since 2012, said that while a start-up listing in the public markets was a sign of success, it was also important to consider market equity. 'The equity of biotechnology start-ups is currently around ₹7,000 have longer incubation periods,' he said in response to a query from The Hindu on when an Indian biotech start-up would hit the public markets. Dr. Singh was addressing a press conference on the achievements of scientific departments — the Departments of Science and Technology, Biotechnology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
