India Earns $143 Million from Foreign Satellite Launches, Eyes Bigger Space Goals

New Delhi- India generated foreign exchange revenue of USD 143 million through launching foreign satellites between 2015 and 2024, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jitendra Singh informed the Lok Sabha.

In a written reply, the Ministry of Space revealed that a total of 393 foreign satellites and three Indian customer satellites were launched commercially aboard ISRO’s PSLV, LVM3, and SSLV launch vehicles during this period.

India’s commercial space launch services have attracted global clients, with satellites from 34 countries being launched since 2014. Notably, the United States led the count with 232 satellites, followed by the United Kingdom (83), Singapore (19), and Canada (8). Other countries that entrusted their payloads to ISRO include Korea (5), Luxembourg (4), Italy (4), Germany (3), Belgium (3), France (3), Japan (2), and Australia (1), among others.

India has also strengthened its international space cooperation, having signed space agreements with 61 countries and five multilateral bodies. The key areas of collaboration include satellite remote sensing, navigation, communication, planetary exploration, and capacity building.

Space Power on the Rise

India’s space journey has witnessed remarkable milestones in recent years. In 2023, India achieved global acclaim with the Chandrayaan-3 mission, becoming the first country to land a spacecraft on the Moon’s South Pole. The same year, ISRO successfully launched Aditya-L1, the nation’s first solar mission.

The country is now gearing up for its most ambitious project yet — the Gaganyaan Mission, which aims to send Indian astronauts into orbit and safely return them to Earth. The four selected astronauts were trained at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, where Rakesh Sharma, India’s first astronaut, trained before his historic spaceflight in 1984.

Looking ahead, India’s space ambitions are set even higher. Plans are underway to establish a Bharatiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and send the first Indian to the Moon by 2040.

Private Sector Boost

India’s growing prominence in the global space economy has also paved the way for its private space industry. The government’s decision to open the space sector to private companies in 2020 has resulted in a boom of space startups, further strengthening India’s position as a key player in the global space race.

As India continues its cosmic journey, these achievements not only underscore the country’s technological prowess but also open doors for greater international cooperation and commercial opportunities in the ever-expanding space economy.