India's native commercial Earth Observation satellite constellation will be spearheaded by PixxelSpace, as announced by IN-SPACe.
India is set to take a significant leap in its private space industry with the announcement of its first indigenous commercial Earth Observation (EO) satellite constellation. The ambitious project, led by PixxelSpace India, will see the deployment of 12 advanced EO satellites over the next four to five years.
The PixxelSpace India-led consortium will own and operate the EO system, encompassing satellite manufacturing, launches, ground infrastructure, and data services commercialization. The consortium includes PierSight Space, Satsure Analytics India, and Dhruva Space.
The Government of India will provide strategic, technical, and policy support for the EO-Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project. This pioneering initiative is facilitated by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).
The satellites in the constellation will be equipped with a multi-sensor payload, including panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral, and microwave Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors. This setup will provide high-resolution, 24-hour, all-weather Earth observation capabilities.
The sensors will generate analysis-ready data and value-added services covering climate change monitoring, disaster management, agriculture monitoring, infrastructure development, marine surveillance, national security, urban planning, and more.
By deploying indigenous satellites with technologies such as SAR, India aims to eliminate dependency on foreign satellite data sources, enhancing data sovereignty and positioning the country as a global leader in geospatial intelligence and space-based data solutions.
The phased deployment over four to five years will ensure continuous upgrades and expanded coverage, supporting critical sectors with timely, reliable Earth observation data. This development marks a significant shift from a traditionally government-led space program to a vibrant private sector-driven commercial space ecosystem in India.
The initiative reaffirms the Government of India's commitment to space sector reforms and fostering Indian industry as a global player in the space economy. Once operational, the EO system will be among the most advanced in the world, designed, built, and operated entirely in India by Indian talent.
Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, stated that this initiative signifies the maturity of India's private space industry. Shri Rajeev Jyoti, Director of Technical Directorate at IN-SPACe, noted that the project will lead to self-reliance in high-resolution optical and radar data for India.
The project is expected to catalyse innovation, create thousands of high-skill jobs, and contribute to growing India's space economy from $8.4 billion in 2022 to $44 billion by 2033. Awais Ahmed, CEO of Pixxel, expressed gratitude for being selected to build India's national EO constellation.
[1] IN-SPACe [2] Pixxel [3] PierSight Space [4] Satsure Analytics India [5] Dhruva Space
- The Government of India's commitment to space sector reforms is evident in the support provided to the EO-Public-Private Partnership project, led by IN-SPACe.
- Pixxel, along with PierSight Space, Satsure Analytics India, and Dhruva Space, forms the consortium that will own, operate, and commercialize the data services from the indigenous commercial Earth Observation satellite constellation in the field of space-and-astronomy, finance, business, technology, and climate change.
