Sanyark Space has emerged as one of the most ambitious ventures in India’s private space sector, founded by former ISRO scientists Raghava Kundrapu and Akhileshwar Reddy Peseke.

Their vision is to build a resilient Low Earth Orbit constellation that integrates centimetre-level positioning, secure IoT connectivity, and software-defined satellite technology. The company is not merely focused on launching satellites but on creating the operating system for an autonomous world, where navigation, communication, and resilience converge seamlessly, according to a report by New Indian Express.

Raghava’s eight years at ISRO, where he contributed to over forty missions including launch vehicle and human spaceflight programs, gave him a strong systems-level understanding of space technologies. 

His subsequent role at Deloitte as a space technology consultant exposed him to national and state-level projects, where he identified critical gaps in positioning, navigation, and timing infrastructure.

The limitations of existing GNSS systems, particularly their metre-level accuracy, became evident during studies on satellite-based tolling. This challenge, combined with Akhileshwar’s experience on the GNSS tolling pilot project, led to the conception of Sanyark’s NAVCOM vision — a fusion of navigation and communication capabilities.

India’s dependence on foreign satellite infrastructure for navigation and timing services remains a strategic vulnerability. While NAVIC is a step toward sovereignty, it does not yet deliver the centimetre-level precision required for future mobility applications. From aviation and maritime operations to logistics and defence, critical infrastructure depends on positioning and timing data.

Sanyark Space aims to fill this gap by building sovereign infrastructure that ensures both accuracy and resilience against jamming and spoofing, threats that have already disrupted aviation and transportation globally.

The founders describe their mission as building a “space backbone.” This means creating a LEO-based infrastructure layer that supports not only consumer navigation but also telecommunications, financial systems, energy grids, drones, and defence networks.

Timing signals from satellites synchronise 5G networks, power grids, and even financial transactions, making them indispensable to modern economies. As autonomous systems proliferate, resilience will become as important as precision, and Sanyark intends to deliver both.

Unlike many companies focused on launch vehicles or Earth observation, Sanyark differentiates itself by integrating navigation and communication into a single satellite architecture. This convergence reflects the evolution of telecommunications standards toward 6G, where navigation and communication are increasingly inseparable. Globally, only a handful of companies are pursuing this integrated approach, and Sanyark aims to position India at the forefront of this emerging category.

The fusion of PNT and communications is driven by both technological advances and market demand. Autonomous vehicles, drones, logistics networks, and industrial systems require simultaneous navigation and communication capabilities.

Advances in electronics now allow both functions to be integrated into compact systems-on-chip, enabling seamless platforms that combine positioning, timing, and connectivity. Sanyark’s integrated NAVCOM satellites are designed to meet this demand.

India’s role in the global space race is shifting as private industry takes centre stage. Since the sector opened to private participation, startups have made progress in launch vehicles, satellite platforms, and Earth observation.

Navigation and communication represent the next frontier, and Sanyark sees an opportunity for India to leapfrog rather than catch up. By delivering sovereign NAVCOM infrastructure, the company aims to reduce dependence on foreign systems and establish India as a leader in next-generation space technologies.

The roadmap ahead is ambitious. Within the next twelve months, Sanyark plans to launch its first technology demonstration satellite, with high-altitude platform systems testing navigation technologies by year-end.

A second demonstration mission in 2027 will showcase the integrated NAVCOM architecture. Commercial deployment will follow, beginning with a constellation of 30 to 40 satellites covering India, the Middle East, and South Asia. The long-term vision is a global constellation of 200 to 240 satellites, with operational deployment targeted around 2029–30.

On the funding and validation front, Sanyark is participating in national initiatives focused on strategic space technologies and has been selected for investment and support programmes.

Over the past six months, the company has concentrated on developing proprietary signal waveforms and advancing the technology readiness of its PNT payloads. The next phase will integrate advanced communication capabilities, realising the vision of a fully integrated NAVCOM platform.

Sanyark Space represents a bold step in India’s private space journey. By addressing critical gaps in navigation and communication infrastructure, it is positioning itself as a cornerstone of the autonomous future, where precision, resilience, and connectivity will define the next era of technological progress.

Agencies