Union Coal and Mines Minister and BJP Telangana president G. Kishan Reddy on Saturday, 18 July 2026, hailed the inauguration of Skyroot Aerospace's Infinity Campus in Hyderabad and the successful launch of Vikram-1, describing the developments as a proud moment for Hyderabad, Telangana, and India. Reddy, who attended the campus inauguration presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the milestone reflects the transformative impact of space-sector reforms under the Modi government.

Context

Posting on X, Reddy wrote that he 'had the privilege of visiting Skyroot Aerospace's Infinity Campus in Hyderabad during its inauguration by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji.' He called it 'truly heartening to witness that vision translate into the successful launch of Vikram-1, India's first privately developed orbital launch vehicle.' The minister extended his wishes to Team Skyroot for 'many more milestones in the nation's inspiring space journey.'

Skyroot Aerospace, headquartered in Hyderabad, is among the pioneering private space startups that have emerged since India opened its space sector to private participation. The company's Vikram series of launch vehicles is named after Vikram Sarabhai, widely regarded as the father of India's space programme.

Policy Backdrop

In 2020, the Government of India announced landmark space-sector reforms that opened launch-vehicle development and satellite operations to private companies for the first time. The reforms established IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) as the nodal regulatory agency to facilitate and authorise private participation.

The liberalisation is part of the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, which aims to reduce import dependence and raise India's share of the global space economy — estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars over the coming decade. The policy shift mirrors earlier liberalisation steps in defence manufacturing and telecommunications, seeking to harness private capital and innovation alongside the established capacity of ISRO.

The Infinity Campus inauguration by Prime Minister Modi in Hyderabad signals continued high-level political commitment to the public-private partnership model in space, and reinforces the city's growing identity as a hub for aerospace and deep-technology industries.

Stakeholders and Impact

Hyderabad hosts a growing cluster of private aerospace firms, benefiting from proximity to ISRO's facilities, a skilled engineering workforce, and state-level support from the Telangana government. The successful orbital launch of Vikram-1 — described as India's first privately developed orbital launch vehicle — represents a significant commercial and technological proof-of-concept for the sector.

For private space startups and their investors, a completed orbital mission removes a critical risk from the commercialisation roadmap. It also strengthens India's positioning as a competitive destination for international satellite launch contracts, where cost and reliability are the primary decision factors.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to subsequent commercial flights by Skyroot Aerospace and other IN-SPACe-authorised firms, as well as any new funding windows or regulatory updates announced by the Department of Space. The government is expected to use the momentum from Vikram-1's success to attract further private investment into the domestic space supply chain.

As India seeks to capture a larger slice of the global launch market, the pace at which private operators can achieve reliable, repeatable missions will be a key indicator of how quickly the policy reforms translate into sustained commercial outcomes.