Indian firms to build 12 Earth-imaging satellites for $130mn, supply data to Govt

An agreement has been formalised between the Indian Government agency IN-SPACE and a consortia of four Indian firms for designing, building, launching, and operating a dozen-strong constellation of Earth-imaging satellites. This is the first time in India that a group of private firms would be building and operating a fleet of multi-purpose satellites, a task that so far has been undertaken only by the Government-run space agency ISRO. The Indian government agency IN-SPACE is responsible for promoting and supporting private space companies.

The private consortium comprising Indian firms Pixxel, Dhruva Space, PierSight, and Satsure would invest more than ₹1,200 crore (approx $130 million) over the next five years to launch the 12-satellite fleet in a phased manner. They would be combining their 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.

This satellite fleet is meant to be placed in a near-Earth orbit (between 500-2000 km above the surface), and is meant to have diverse Earth-imaging capabilities. It will be equipped with the following imaging capabilities: panchromatic (black-and-white imagery for mapping), multispectral (imagery using different colour-filters to study land, soil, water, hyperspectral (high-precision imagery to identify crop type, map minerals, detect chemical/biological activity), and microwave SAR (all-weather, day and night imagery using radar waves).

The programme is expected to provide reliable access to Earth observation data for Indian government users, coordinated through IN-SPACE, while also enabling global commercialisation across sectors such as agriculture, environment, infrastructure, energy, and maritime.

“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. By entrusting this ₹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,” said Awais Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Pixxel.