India’s push into private spaceflight gathered momentum on April 25, with Skyroot Aerospace dispatching its Vikram-1 rocket to Sriharikota for what is set to be the country’s first privately-built orbital launch attempt. 

The flag-off ceremony, held at Skyroot’s Max-Q campus in Hyderabad, was led by Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, alongside state minister D Sridhar Babu.  

As part of the ceremony, the Chief Minister flagged off the rocket’s space-ready payload fairing, the structure that protects satellites during ascent. 

Reddy said the occasion marks a key milestone in Telangana’s aerospace ambitions, adding that the government is focused on skilling youth through partnerships with global universities and industry leaders. 

The flag-off comes after the completion of pre-flight testing at Skyroot’s facilities, with the rocket’s propulsion stages already secured at the Sriharikota spaceport. 

“The launch of this orbital rocket will mark a major milestone for India’s emerging private space-tech industry. With Vikram-1, we aim to open up space by enabling on-demand satellite launches for a fast-growing global market,” said Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO, Skyroot Aerospace. 

The launch, expected in the coming months, will mark India’s first private attempt at an orbital mission, a segment currently dominated by a handful of global players. 

Vikram-1 is a multi-stage orbital launch vehicle designed to deploy small satellites of up to 350 kg into low Earth orbit. Built using an all-carbon composite structure, the rocket is powered by in-house propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid boosters. 

The mission will be carried out under the authorisation of IN-SPACe, with technical oversight from ISRO.