50% PSLV production goes private

Do you remember learning about India’s first rocket launch? Let me tell you something surprising; The first rocket was so small that scientists had to transport its parts by bicycle! Yes, you read that right. Bicycles. And today, just decades later, India is producing rockets powerful enough to carry the heaviest satellites into space and spacecraft capable of traveling 600 million kilometers to Mars. It was this incredible journey that ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan spoke about at the 7th India Manufacturing Expo in Bangalore on November 6, 2025, and his words filled the hearts of every Indian with pride.

Mr. Narayanan shared something really exciting: ISRO wants to hand over 50% of the PSLV rocket development business to private Indian companies. Now you may wonder what exactly PSLV is. PSLV stands for Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and is India’s most reliable and reliable rocket that has been launching satellites into space for decades. This is like the reliable workhorse of the Indian space programme; rocket that rarely fails and has successfully launched numerous satellites into orbit for India and other countries. This rocket has made India proud with mission after mission and now ISRO is confident enough to let private Indian companies build half of it! Think about what this means! Half of PSLV, which has been our backbone in space for years, will soon be built by our own private industries. This isn’t just about job sharing; it’s about trusting Indian companies to build one of the world’s most reliable spacecraft.

The President announced that for the first time, a PSLV rocket has been built entirely by an Indian industry consortium led by HAL and L&T and ISRO plans to launch it by February this fiscal. These companies will receive 50% of all future PSLV business after successfully completing two launches. Can you imagine the trust ISRO has in Indian industries? This is a huge vote of confidence and shows how far our private sector has come in terms of capability and reliability.

What impressed me the most was when Mr. Narayanan said that Indian industries already produce 80 to 85% of the systems used in ISRO missions. This is mind blowing! We often think that ISRO does it all alone, but the truth is that our aerospace, defense and engineering companies are the backbone of every mission. Take, for example, the CMS-03 mission, which carried our heaviest communications satellite using the massive LMV3-M5 rocket, nicknamed ‘Bahubali’. About 80% of this mission was built by Indian industries. Yes, ISRO started this but our companies made it possible. This is the India we should be proud of; an India that builds, innovates and delivers.

The journey narrated by ISRO takes us to November 21, 1963, when India successfully launched a small American-made rocket from Indian territory. This was our first baby step into space. From those humble beginnings with rocket parts carried by bicycle, we have reached an incredible milestone with the launch of the NISAR Satellite in July 2025. The cost of this joint mission with NASA is ₹10,300 crore and here is the good part: While NASA made one payload and antenna, India made another payload. However, the entire satellite was built in India, assembled in India and launched on an Indian rocket with the help of Indian industries. From bicycles to building satellites worth thousands of millions, this is the transformational story every young Indian should know.

Around 450 Indian industries are currently working with ISRO in different roles and the growth following the government’s space sector reforms has been phenomenal. Mr. Narayanan stated that before these reforms, only 3-4 startups were working in India’s space sector. Today there are more than 330 startups! Think of the opportunities this creates for young engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs like you. The space industry is no longer on lockdown; It is open to everyone with dreams and skills. ISRO has already given its SSLV technology, Small Satellite Launch Vehicle designed to launch smaller satellites, to HAL through a deal worth Rs 511 crore, with plans to manufacture 16 SSLV rockets in specialized industries. These launch vehicles will open even more doors for commercial space activities and make space more accessible.

Let me take you back to one of India’s proudest moments, 23 August 2023. On this day, India became the first country in the world to successfully land near the South Pole of the Moon. Yes, the first! Not America, not Russia, not China; India did this first. This soft landing near the Moon’s South Pole was not just India’s achievement; It was a historic moment for the entire world of space science. The President also spoke with great pride about our Mars Orbiter Mission Mangalyaan, and he was right. This spacecraft traveled 600 million kilometers and after 295 days in space, its engine restarted perfectly; This was something no other country had achieved on its first try. India did it the first time! That’s what makes our space program truly special.

What really touched my heart was the story of India’s cryogenic engine technology. When India wanted to purchase this advanced technology in the early 1990s, other countries refused to do so. They thought we couldn’t do it on our own. But look at us today; We have developed three types of cryogenic propulsion motors completely on our own! We have evolved from rejection of technology to confident masters of it. This is the spirit that defines India and ISRO. We don’t give up when the doors close; We make our own doors, sometimes even better ones.

January 29, 2024 marked another golden era when ISRO completed its 100th rocket launch. One hundred successful missions! Each launch represents years of hard work, precision and dedication by thousands of scientists, engineers and industry partners. Mr. Narayanan also shared something exciting about electronics independence: ISRO and HCL have together created a 32-bit Indian computer processor. This may sound technical, but it means India is reducing its dependence on foreign electronics for our space missions. We make everything ourselves, from the smallest chip to the largest rocket.

Currently, India operates 56 satellites for communication, navigation and Earth observation. But here’s the exciting part: this number will increase three to four times in the coming years! Our Prime Minister has set an ambitious target: to increase India’s number of rocket launches from 10-12 per year to around 50 per year in the next five years. Fifty launches a year! That’s a launch almost every week! Can you imagine the scale of work, jobs and opportunities this will create? These launches will happen faster and more efficiently, with ISRO now giving 50% of its PSLV business to private companies.

This is your moment as students standing on the threshold of your career. India, which carries rocket parts by bike, needs you to take its space dreams forward. Whether you want to be an engineer, scientist, entrepreneur or technician, the space industry is calling. With 330 startups and 450 industries already involved, and ISRO opening up 50% of its PSLV work to private players, the opportunities are endless. India’s space story is not just about reaching the stars; It’s about believing that nothing is impossible. It’s about turning denials into determination, obstacles into opportunities, and dreams into reality. This is the India that ISRO has built and this is the India you will take even higher. Are you ready?

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above belong to the author and do not reflect the views of DNA)

(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and Defense, Aerospace and Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)