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India's First Private Earth Observation Constellation Launched by Startup Alliance

IN-SPACe has partnered with four space startups to form the Allied Orbits consortium, which will build India's first privately-led Earth observation satellite constellation. The consortium plans to invest over ₹1,200 crore to deploy 12 advanced imaging satellites over the next five years. This initiative aims to provide reliable, domestic earth intelligence data for government and commercial applications, reducing reliance on foreign sources. The project represents a major validation of India's private space sector and its capability to deliver critical national infrastructure.

Key Points: India's First Private Earth Observation Satellite Constellation

  • First private Indian EO constellation
  • ₹1,200+ crore investment over 5 years
  • 12 satellites with multiple imaging types
  • Reduces foreign data dependence
2 min read

IN-SPACe, 4 space startups tie up to build India's 1st private Earth observation constellation

IN-SPACe partners with 4 startups to build a ₹1,200+ crore private satellite constellation for earth intelligence and data sovereignty.

"This is a powerful declaration of India's intent in space. - Awais Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Pixxel"

New Delhi, Jan 21

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre on Wednesday teamed up with four space startups to build India's first private Earth observation satellite constellation.

Led by Pixxel, the consortium -- named Allied Orbits -- comprises Pixxel, Dhruva Space, PierSight, and Satsure.

The space startups will design, build, own, and operate the country's first privately led national satellite system under a Public-Private Partnership framework, as per an official statement.

In the next five years, the consortium will invest over Rs 1,200 crore. They will deploy 12 satellites spanning very high-resolution optical, multispectral, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and hyperspectral imaging, enabling continuous and reliable access to earth intelligence.

The consortium also combines strengths in space hardware, analytics, and mission operations to create an end-to-end ecosystem spanning satellites, ground infrastructure, value-added services, and end-user analytics.

The satellites will deliver Analysis Ready Data (ARD) and value-added services for applications including agriculture, disaster management, climate monitoring, infrastructure planning, and national security.

According to IN-SPACe, the programme will also provide reliable access to Earth observation data for Indian government users. It will also enable global commercialisation across sectors such as agriculture, environment, infrastructure, energy, and maritime.

The initiative will reduce dependence on foreign satellite data and strengthen India's geospatial and space-based services ecosystem through structured public-private collaboration.

"This is a powerful declaration of India's intent in space. For the first time, India will control its own Earth intelligence infrastructure, designed and operated by Indian companies, serving Indian needs first and global markets second," said Awais Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Pixxel.

"By entrusting this Rs 1,200+ crore national project to a consortium of Indian startups, the government validates the country's private space ecosystem and its ability to deliver infrastructure on a global scale," he added.

The consortium will build a constellation that will shape how India produces, uses, and shares Earth observation data in the years ahead, in close partnership with the government to deliver large-scale strategic impact.

"This is what the new space economy looks like: private sector speed and innovation, deployed at national scale," Ahmed said.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
As someone working in agri-tech, this is a game-changer. Timely, high-resolution data can help farmers with crop health, irrigation, and yield prediction. Hope the data is affordable for startups and small enterprises too.
R
Rohit P
₹1200 crore is a huge investment. While the vision is great, I hope there is strict oversight on the spending and clear milestones. Public-private partnerships need transparency to truly benefit the nation.
S
Sarah B
Impressive to see India's space sector evolving so rapidly. The combination of different startups for hardware, analytics, and operations makes a lot of sense. The global commercial potential is enormous.
V
Vikram M
"Serving Indian needs first" - this is the key line for me. Our strategic and security needs should be the top priority. Reducing foreign dependence in such a critical area is a massive step for Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
K
Karthik V
Hope this leads to more jobs and spurs innovation across the engineering and data science fields in India. The space tech ecosystem is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Best of luck to the consortium!

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