Yogesh K Porwar
The founders of Skyroot Aerospace,Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka,called on Chief Minister,D.K.Shivakumar in New Delhi today following their meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi,who had congratulated them on the historic success of the Vikram-1 mission.
The Chief Minister congratulated the founders and the entire Skyroot team for scripting a new chapter in India’s commercial space journey through the successful launch of Vikram-1,India’s first privately developed orbital-class launch vehicle.
Launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota,on 18 July 2026, the maiden mission successfully placed multiple payloads into low Earth orbit,making Skyroot the first private Indian company to achieve this milestone.
The Vikram-1 mission has positioned India among only three countries in the world—alongside the United States and China—with private orbital launch capability, marking a defining moment for the country’s rapidly expanding commercial space sector.
The Chief Minister also congratulated Skyroot on becoming India’s first space-tech unicorn, with the company recently crossing a valuation of USD 1.1 billion.
He noted that Skyroot’s journey-from the successful Vikram-S suborbital mission in 2022 to the landmark Vikram-1 orbital launch – showcases the immense potential of Indian innovation, entrepreneurship and scientific excellence.
During the meeting,discussions were held on the future of India’s space economy, emerging opportunities in aerospace and deep technology, and the importance of strengthening innovation-led growth.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed Karnataka’s commitment to building a world-class ecosystem for aerospace, space technology and deep-tech startups, enabling more Indian companies to achieve global success.
D.K.Shivakumar conveyed his heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the founders and the entire Skyroot team for their pioneering achievements and wished them continued success in advancing India’s leadership in the global space sector.
