Skyroot Aerospace, India's pioneering private space company, stands on the cusp of history with its Vikram-I rocket slated for lift-off in 2026 from ISRO's First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

This 75-foot-tall vehicle, capable of delivering up to 300 kg of payload to a 500 km low Earth orbit, marks a pivotal moment for the nation's burgeoning private space sector.

Co-founder and CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana, a former ISRO scientist, shared insights during an in-depth discussion with WION. He emphasised that this maiden orbital launch, now targeted for the first half of 2026, has faced delays due to unforeseen technical glitches.

Originally unveiled in prototype form in October 2023 before Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, the latest flight-ready model was showcased in November 2025 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The journey began with Vikram-S in November 2022, an experimental rocket that reached the upper atmosphere but did not achieve orbit. This test flight echoed the early efforts of INCOSPAR, ISRO's predecessor in the 1960s, validating core rocketry principles for a private entity for the first time in India.

Development timelines have been aggressively compressed; Chandana noted that new rockets typically take a decade, yet Skyroot aims to fly Vikram-I just four years after starting work post-Vikram-S. Rigorous technical reviews with ISRO ensure compliance and safety, with further announcements expected soon.

The 2023 prototype differed from the 2025 flight model, which will carry actual customer payloads on its debut. Skyroot plans three developmental flights, mirroring ISRO's approach, to gather data and refine performance before declaring the rocket fully operational.

For the inaugural mission, payloads will be limited to a fraction of the 300 kg capacity to prioritise testing over maximum lift. Customers benefit from discounted rates, acknowledging the inherent risks of a first orbital attempt, which Chandana described as rarely flawless for any newcomer.

Manufacturing ramps up at Skyroot's Hyderabad facility, aiming for one rocket per month to tap global demand for small satellite launches. Success here could position India more competitively in the $450 billion space economy, where it currently holds just 2 per cent share.

Competitors loom large: Rocket Lab's Electron, with similar 320 kg capacity to 500 km orbit and dozens of flights yearly, leads the pack. Closer to home, ISRO's SSLV, capable of 500 kg to the same altitude, has completed three missions in recent years, setting a high bar.

Pre-launch hurdles remain, including vibration tests on key components and integration reviews with ISRO's Sriharikota infrastructure. Launch liability insurance, already secured for Vikram-S, will cover potential damages.

Future plans include sticking to Sriharikota for low Earth orbits initially, then shifting to the new Kulasekarapattinam spaceport in Tamil Nadu for efficient sun-synchronous polar orbits favoured by Earth-imaging satellites.

These ambitions stem from India's 2020 space reforms, which dismantled ISRO's monopoly on rocket design, development, and launches. Private players like Skyroot now vie for global contracts, fostering innovation and indigenous capability in aerospace.

Vikram-I's success could accelerate India's private space race, blending ex-ISRO expertise with entrepreneurial drive to challenge established players and expand the nation's orbital footprint.

Agencies