VyomIC, a Chennai-based space start-up founded by alumni of IIT-Madras, is planning to build India's first private global satellite constellation to provide high-precision Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services.

This initiative marks a significant step in India's space and navigation technology sector, aiming to offer centimetre-level positioning and nanosecond-level timing accuracy, which are critical for defence, finance, telecommunications, and autonomous systems applications.

The start-up has successfully raised USD 1.6 million in pre-seed funding led by Speciale Invest, with participation from BYT Capital and DeVC. The funds will be utilized to develop VyomIC's low Earth orbit (LEO)-based PNT payload, support spaceborne demonstration missions, and scale the team hiring and business development efforts. This funding round reflects confidence in the bold vision of a sovereign, next-generation global navigation system engineered for autonomy, security, and precision.

VyomIC emphasises building a constellation using LEO satellites, which offers distinct advantages over traditional GPS systems that operate at higher orbits. The LEO constellation promises faster convergence times, stronger signal power, and better coverage in urban and signal-contested environments. 

A unique feature of their system is the ability to enable indoor PNT, allowing navigation within previously inaccessible closed spaces and buildings, which is a current limitation for existing GNSS systems like GPS and GLONASS.

Security features are a core aspect, with VyomIC's technology designed to tackle vulnerabilities faced by current global navigation satellite systems, such as spoofing and jamming. Their system aims to be highly resilient, providing spoofing-proof and jamming-resistant signals crucial for applications in defence and critical infrastructure sectors where secure and reliable navigation is non-negotiable.

The founders of VyomIC, Lokesh Kabdal, Vibhor Jain, and Anurag Patil, previously worked on advanced technology initiatives including India's student-led hyperloop project and commercial drone swarm deployments. Vibhor Jain highlighted that the company is not merely creating an Indian alternative to GPS but is striving to build a next-generation system that addresses autonomy, security, and precision on a global scale.

VyomIC’s long-term vision involves launching a full-fledged constellation that will serve global users with secure, real-time navigation and timing services. This initiative will lay the foundation for autonomous systems and sovereign infrastructures essential for the future economy and national security.

VyomIC's project to establish India's first private GPS constellation is poised to revolutionise the PNT landscape by providing enhanced precision, security, and novel capabilities such as indoor navigation, backed by a strong technical team and robust investor support. This effort underlines India's growing leadership in space technology innovation within the private sector.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)