What Happened
Private Companies Step Up To Fill Gap In Growing Space Economy
India’s space economy is expanding rapidly, with the number of registered space technology startups rising to 440 and private investment reaching $618.5 million by March 2026. However, launch capacity remains a significant gap in the ecosystem, according to Astrobase CEO Neeraj Khandelwal. The company is developing an 800 kN-class LOX-methane staged-combustion engine and targets its first orbital launch by December 2028. This development was first reported by Firstpost.