IN-SPACe Partners with Four Startups to Develop India’s First Private Earth Observation Constellation

New Delhi: The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) on Wednesday announced a partnership with four space technology startups to build India’s first privately-led Earth observation satellite constellation.

The consortium, named Allied Orbits, is led by Pixxel and includes Dhruva Space, PierSight, and Satsure. Under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework, the group will design, build, own, and operate the country’s first national satellite system driven by private industry, according to an official statement.

Over the next five years, the consortium plans to invest more than Rs 1,200 crore to deploy 12 satellites. These will cover very high-resolution optical, multispectral, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and hyperspectral imaging capabilities, ensuring continuous and reliable access to Earth observation data.

By combining expertise in satellite hardware, data analytics, and mission operations, the consortium aims to create an end-to-end ecosystem encompassing satellites, ground infrastructure, value-added services, and advanced analytics for end users.

The satellites will provide Analysis Ready Data (ARD) and enhanced services for key applications such as agriculture, disaster management, climate monitoring, infrastructure planning, and national security.

IN-SPACe noted that the initiative will ensure dependable access to Earth observation data for Indian government agencies while also enabling global commercial opportunities across sectors including agriculture, environment, infrastructure, energy, and maritime. The programme is expected to reduce India’s reliance on foreign satellite data and strengthen the country’s geospatial and space-based services ecosystem through structured public-private collaboration.

Calling the initiative a landmark moment, Pixxel Founder and CEO Awais Ahmed said it reflects India’s ambition to control its own Earth intelligence infrastructure through domestically designed and operated systems. He added that entrusting a project of this scale to Indian startups validates the maturity and global potential of the country’s private space sector.

The consortium is expected to play a transformative role in how India generates, utilises, and shares Earth observation data in the coming years, working closely with the government to deliver strategic national impact.

With inputs from IANS