Satellites & Earth observation
Dhruva Space
Hyderabad full-stack satellite maker that lost its entire Polar Access-1 stack in the PSLV-C62 failure of January 2026, four months before a ₹105 crore state grant.
Dhruva Space sells the whole small-satellite stack from Hyderabad: spacecraft platforms, the separation systems that push satellites off a launch vehicle, and the ground stations that talk to them once they are up. Sanjay Nekkanti founded the company in 2012 and was later joined by Abhay Egoor, Krishna Teja Penamakuru and Chaitanya Dora Surapureddy, who hold the technology, operations and finance posts. The hardware reached orbit in pieces rather than in one debut. A 1U orbital deployer, DSOD-1U, was space-qualified on the orbital platform carried by PSLV-C53 on 30 June 2022; the Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 amateur-radio nanosatellites flew on PSLV-C54 on 26 November 2022 and deorbited in June 2024 after more than 15,000 combined orbits; and 3U and 6U deployers plus the Orbital Link were qualified on PSLV-C55 in April 2023.
The P-30 satellite bus, the company's main platform, was validated in orbit by the LEAP-TD demonstrator flown on PSLV-C58 on 1 January 2024, and the first paying flight came next. LEAP-1, a 60 kg P-30 spacecraft carrying Akula Tech's Nexus-01 artificial-intelligence module and Esper Satellites' hyperspectral imager for the OTR-2 mission, went up on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base; Dhruva Space says the satellite separated at 01:32 a.m. IST on 27 August 2025, while Gunter's Space Page dates the launch itself 26 August 2025. Away from flight hardware the company runs AstraView, a virtual-constellation imagery service opened on 2 December 2024, and rents time on its own ground stations.
Its worst day was 12 January 2026. Polar Access-1, announced four days earlier as a stack of four satellites and five separation systems backed by ground stations and advertised as enabling ten space missions, was riding PSLV-C62 when a deviation during third-stage flight left the rocket short of orbit. The stack went down with it, taking Dhruva Space's own Thybolt-3 and the payloads it was flying for others: CGUSAT-1 from CV Raman Global University, DSAT-1 from Dayananda Sagar University, Assam Don Bosco University's LACHIT-1, Nepal's Munal and Sanskar Sat. Chief executive Sanjay Nekkanti said the company could be ready for its next launches within weeks, and that the harder problem was finding a rocket to put them on.
Money and contracts have kept arriving. The company closed a Series A at ₹123 crore in April 2024 - ₹45.51 crore in Series A1 and ₹78 crore in Series A2, the second tranche including ₹10 crore of venture debt from SIDBI and ₹14 crore from the Technology Development Board - after ₹5 crore in December 2019 and ₹22 crore in October 2021. In August 2025 it joined the Pixxel-led consortium that won IN-SPACe's Earth-observation public-private partnership, contributing satellite platforms, mission operations and ground-segment infrastructure to a 12-satellite constellation costing more than ₹1,200 crore; incorporated as Allied Orbits, the group signed with IN-SPACe on 21 January 2026. On 13 May 2026 the government's Research, Development and Innovation Fund committed ₹105 crore to Project Garud, a flat-pack 500 kg-class communications platform that Dhruva Space says is designed for a build rate of up to two satellites a day.
What they build and operate
- P-30 satellite platform · Platform · Operational
Compact 3-axis-stabilised smallsat bus, validated in orbit by the LEAP-TD demonstrator in January 2024 and flown commercially as the 60 kg LEAP-1 satellite in August 2025.[1][18][6] - P-DoT nanosatellite platform · Platform
Nanosatellite platform used for the Thybolt-3 CubeSat and for Assam Don Bosco University's LACHIT-1, both lost with PSLV-C62 in January 2026.[5][12] - DSOD orbital deployers · Component · Operational
Satellite orbital deployers and separation systems, space-qualified in stages: DSOD-1U on the PSLV-C53 orbital platform in June 2022, then 3U and 6U units on PSLV-C55 in April 2023.[1][2] - Ground stations and Ground-Station-as-a-Service · Service · Operational
Ground-station antennas in VHF/UHF, S, X and Ka bands that the company says it builds itself and sells as a service, and that it counted in the Polar Access-1 stack.[20][17] - AstraView · Service · Operational
Commercial satellite imagery service run as a virtual constellation, opened on 2 December 2024.[1] - Project Garud · Platform · In development
Flat-pack 500 kg-class communications satellite platform backed by ₹105 crore from the government's Research, Development and Innovation Fund in May 2026.[16][14][15]
Funding
- December 2019 · Funding round
₹5 crore — Mumbai Angels Network[1] - October 2021 · Funding round
₹22 crore — Indian Angel Network Fund, Blue Ashva Capital[1] - 22 April 2024 · Series A, final close
₹123 crore, comprising Series A1 of ₹45.51 crore and Series A2 of ₹78 crore including ₹10 crore of venture debt from SIDBI and ₹14 crore from the Technology Development Board — Indian Angel Network Alpha Fund, Blue Ashva Capital, Silverneedle Ventures, BIG Global Investment JSC (BITEXCO Group), IvyCap Ventures, Mumbai Angels, Blume Founders Fund[7] - November 2025 · Fundraise reported by Inc42
₹51.76 crore[15] - February 2026 · Pre-Series B, reported as ongoing
₹38.7 crore sought — IAN Alpha Fund, GVFL, Blue Ashva Capital, Pradeep Sinha[15] - February 2026 · IN-SPACe grant for an indigenous small-satellite bus platform
₹5 crore[15] - 13 May 2026 · Research, Development and Innovation Fund grant for Project Garud
₹105 crore — Government of India Research, Development & Innovation Fund[16][14][15]
Milestones
- 30 June 2022
Space-qualified its first satellite orbital deployer, DSOD-1U, on the orbital platform carried by PSLV-C53.[1][2] - 26 November 2022
Flew its first satellites, the amateur-radio nanosatellites Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2, on PSLV-C54.[3][1] - 22 April 2023
Space-qualified its 3U and 6U orbital deployers and the Orbital Link on PSLV-C55.[1] - 01 January 2024
LEAP-TD validated the P-30 satellite platform in orbit on PSLV-C58.[1] - 22 April 2024
Closed a Series A round at ₹123 crore, earmarked for a spacecraft manufacturing plant in Telangana.[7] - June 2024
Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 deorbited after more than 15,000 combined orbits, ending the company's first satellite mission.[1] - 02 December 2024
Opened AstraView, a commercial satellite imagery service run as a virtual constellation.[1] - 13 August 2025
Named a partner in the Pixxel-led consortium that won IN-SPACe's Earth-observation public-private partnership, supplying satellite platforms, mission operations and ground-segment infrastructure.[9] - 27 August 2025
LEAP-1, the company's first commercial mission, separated from its SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage at 01:32 a.m. IST; Gunter's Space Page dates the launch itself 26 August 2025.[18][6] - 08 January 2026
Announced Polar Access-1, a stack of four satellites and five separation systems advertised as enabling ten space missions on PSLV-C62.[17] - 12 January 2026
Lost the entire Polar Access-1 stack when PSLV-C62 deviated during third-stage flight and failed to reach orbit, destroying Thybolt-3, CGUSAT-1, DSAT-1, LACHIT-1, Munal and Sanskar Sat.[12][13][4][5] - 14 January 2026
Chief executive Sanjay Nekkanti said the company could be ready for its next launches within weeks, but that securing a launch slot was the constraint.[13] - 21 January 2026
The consortium, incorporated as Allied Orbits, signed its Earth-observation partnership agreement with IN-SPACe, forgoing up to ₹350 crore of government support.[10] - 13 May 2026
The government's Research, Development and Innovation Fund committed ₹105 crore to Project Garud at the first Enterprise Technology Evaluation signing in New Delhi.[16][14][15]
Facilities
- Begumpet headquarters · Hyderabad, Telangana
Design, integration and mission-control base with two Class 10,000 cleanrooms, a Helmholtz cage, and mechanical and avionics labs.[1][20] - Shamshabad spacecraft manufacturing complex · Shamshabad, Telangana
Planned 280,000 sq ft assembly, integration and test complex for spacecraft of up to 500 kg, announced in October 2023 and still described by the company as anticipated when its site was checked on 19 August 2026.[1][19][9] - Dhruva Space GmbH · Graz, Austria
European office listed among the company's own contact addresses.[20]
Leadership
- Sanjay Nekkanti
Founder and chief executive officer (as of 14 January 2026)[13][1][19] - Abhay Egoor
Co-founder and chief technology officer (as of 14 May 2026)[14][16][19] - Krishna Teja Penamakuru
Co-founder and chief operating officer (as of 26 November 2022)[8][1][19] - Chaitanya Dora Surapureddy
Co-founder and chief financial officer (as of 26 November 2022)[8][1]
Sources
WikipediaDhruva Spaceen.wikipedia.org
WikipediaPSLV-C53en.wikipedia.org
WikipediaPSLV-C54en.wikipedia.org
WikipediaPSLV-C62en.wikipedia.org
WikipediaLACHIT-1en.wikipedia.org
Gunter's Space PageLEAP 1space.skyrocket.de
Outlook BusinessDhruva Space Announces Rs 123 Crore In Series A Funding From Indian Angel Network Alpha Fund And Othersoutlookbusiness.com
Daijiworld (IANS)Meet the men behind Dhruva Space that made its space debut on Saturdaydaijiworld.com
PR NewswireSatSure Joins Pixxel, PierSight, and Dhruva Space as the Winning Consortium for IN-SPACe led Public-Private Partnership for Building India's National Earth Observation Constellationprnewswire.com
Domain-bPixxel-Led ‘Allied Orbits’ Consortium Signs ₹1,200 Crore Pact with IN-SPACe for India’s First Private EO Constellationdomain-b.com
SatNewsPrivate Consortium Allied Orbits Secures Approval to Build India’s ₹1,200 Crore Commercial Satellite Constellationsatnews.com
SwarajyaHyderabad space startups lose pioneering satellites as ISRO's PSLV-C62 mission fails during third-stage anomalyswarajyamag.com
ETV Bharat'We Can Recover Quickly': Hyderabad Space Startups Remain Confident After PSLV-C62 Launch Setbacketvbharat.com
Telangana TodayGovt grants Rs 105 crore to Dhruva Space for Project Garud satellite platformtelanganatoday.com
Inc42Dhruva Space Bags ₹105 Cr Under RDI Fund For Satellite Platforminc42.com
Dhruva Space press releaseDhruva Space Secures INR 105 Crores RDIF Backing to Develop 'Project Garud'dhruvaspace.com
Dhruva Space press releaseDhruva Space Expands Orbital Footprint with Polar Access-1 (PA-1), Set to Enable 10 Space Missions via ISRO's PSLV-C62dhruvaspace.com
Dhruva SpaceLEAP-1 Missiondhruvaspace.com
Dhruva SpaceAbout Dhruva Spacedhruvaspace.com
Dhruva SpaceOfficial sitedhruvaspace.com
Coverage of Dhruva Space
Policy
Modi meets 20 space-startup leaders, urging wider uses of their technology
The August 21 meeting put the private space sector before the prime minister, but the official account announced no new funding, authorisations, contracts or binding policy changes.
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