The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) on Tuesday announced the selection of the PixxelSpace India-led consortium to design, build, and operate India’s first fully indigenous commercial earth observation (EO) satellite constellation under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The Bengaluru-based PixxelSpace India consortium comprises Piersight Space, Satsure Analytics India, and Dhruva Space.
IN-SPACe said the selection of the PixxelSpace India consortium was done following a competitive bidding process which involved two more consortia.
It is for the first time in the history of the Indian space sector that a private consortium would invest more than ₹1,200 crore over the next five years to launch a constellation of 12 state-of-the-art EO satellites equipped with panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral, and microwave Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors.
The constellation will deliver Analysis Ready Data (ARD) and Value-Added Services (VAS) for applications in climate change monitoring, disaster management, agriculture, infrastructure, marine surveillance, national security, and urban planning, while also catering to the global demand for high-quality geospatial intelligence.
IN-SPACe said that by generating high-resolution, indigenous satellite data, the initiative will significantly reduce India’s reliance on foreign sources, ensure data sovereignty, and position the country among the global leaders in space-based data solutions.
“This initiative signals the coming of age of India’s private space industry in the space sector. It demonstrates the capability and confidence of Indian companies to lead large-scale, technologically advanced, and commercially viable space missions that serve both national and global markets. The EO -PPP model fosters an ecosystem where public and private capabilities reinforce each other to drive growth, innovation, and self-reliance,” Pawan Goenka, chairman, IN-SPACe, said.
Under the PPP framework, the Union government will provide strategic, technical, and policy support, while the PixxelSpace India-led consortium will own and operate the EO system, including satellite manufacturing, launches from Indian soil, ground infrastructure, and commercialisation of data services.
IN-SPACe further added that the EO constellation will be deployed in a phased manner over the next four years to ensure continuous service upgrades and expanded coverage.
Once operational, it will be among the most advanced EO systems in the world, designed, built, and operated entirely in India by Indian talent.
Published – August 12, 2025 10:57 pm IST
