Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday, 18 July 2026, congratulated Skyroot Aerospace on the successful launch of Vikram-1, describing it as a historic milestone in India's space journey and crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reforms for enabling private sector participation in the sector.

Context

Posting on X, Khattar called the launch 'भारत की अंतरिक्ष यात्रा की एक और ऐतिहासिक उपलब्धि' ('yet another historic achievement in India's space journey'). The launch was carried out under #MissionAagaman and marks the first time a privately developed launch vehicle has been successfully flown in India. Khattar extended congratulations to the 'entire team of Skyroot Aerospace' and expressed confidence that they would continue to take India's space mission to new heights.

The minister attributed the success to 'visionary reforms' undertaken under the Modi government that have 'given new momentum to innovation, startups and private participation' in the space sector.

Policy Backdrop

India's space liberalisation has been building since 2020, when the government established IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) as a dedicated regulatory and promotional body for non-governmental entities in the space sector. The move was part of the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat programme, which explicitly set self-reliance targets for space, alongside defence and civil aviation.

The Make in India initiative, launched in 2014, provided the earlier policy scaffolding that encouraged domestic manufacturing across strategic sectors including aerospace. Skyroot Aerospace, headquartered in Hyderabad, is among the startups that emerged from this liberalised environment, developing the Vikram series of small satellite launch vehicles designed to serve the growing global demand for affordable orbital access.

The Vikram-1 launch represents a tangible output of this multi-year policy shift — moving India from a model where only ISRO conducted launches to one where private firms can independently design, build and operate rockets.

Stakeholders and Impact

The immediate beneficiaries of a successful private launch capability are small satellite operators — both domestic and international — who require affordable, dedicated rideshare or dedicated-launch options. A domestically available private launch vehicle reduces dependence on foreign providers and shortens the queue for satellite deployment.

For India's broader startup ecosystem, the Vikram-1 success is a proof-of-concept that deep-tech, capital-intensive ventures can reach operational milestones within the country's regulatory framework. Investors and aerospace manufacturers are expected to take note, potentially accelerating funding into the sector.

The achievement also carries diplomatic weight: India's growing launch cadence — now including private players — strengthens its positioning as a reliable partner for international satellite missions, particularly from nations in the Global South seeking alternatives to dominant Western and Chinese providers.

What's Next

Attention will now shift to IN-SPACe's licensing pipeline for additional private launch vehicles, and whether the government moves to update foreign direct investment (FDI) rules for the space sector to attract further capital. Skyroot Aerospace is expected to build on the Vikram-1 success by advancing higher-capacity variants in the Vikram series.

Khattar's public endorsement, coming from a senior cabinet minister outside the space portfolio, signals that the Vikram-1 launch is being positioned across the government as a flagship demonstration of the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision ahead of potential policy announcements.