Agencies & public sector
IN-SPACe
Single-window regulator under India's Department of Space that authorises and promotes private space activity — 113 authorisations issued to 52 companies by August 2026.
IN-SPACe is the autonomous single-window agency under the Department of Space that promotes, enables, authorises and supervises the space activities of India's non-government entities. It was created by a Union Cabinet decision of 24 June 2020 that opened the space sector to private participation, giving companies a level playing field to use Indian space infrastructure while freeing ISRO to concentrate on research, exploration and human spaceflight. The centre, headquartered in Ahmedabad, operates three directorates: Promotion; Technical; and Program Management and Authorization.
Its rulebook is the Norms, Guidelines and Procedures released on 3 May 2024, which implements the Indian Space Policy-2023 published on 20 April 2023. Under it, any entity carrying out space activities to or from Indian territory needs IN-SPACe authorisation, and only Indian entities may apply — foreign companies must come through an Indian subsidiary or joint venture. Authorisation categories span communication and remote-sensing satellites, hosted payloads, orbital and sub-orbital launches, launch facilities, planned re-entries, ground systems and Earth-observation data dissemination, with an envisaged processing time of 75 to 120 days through the IN-SPACe Digital Platform.
The centre's decisions increasingly shape India's commercial space market. It granted Eutelsat OneWeb final satellite-broadband approval in November 2023, the Jio-SES joint venture in June 2024, and SpaceX's Starlink in July 2025, making Starlink the third authorised operator. It announced a ₹500 crore Technology Adoption Fund for space startups in February 2025 and a Satellite Bus as a Service initiative that April; earlier Ground Station as a Service authorisations went to Dhruva Space and Azista. Not every decision has been welcomed. In August 2025 the centre awarded its ₹1,200 crore public-private Earth-observation constellation to a PixxelSpace-led consortium that bid Re 0, waiving the repayable loan of up to ₹350 crore on offer and beating bids of ₹200 crore from an Astra Microwave Products group and ₹97 crore from GalaxEye Space with CoreEL Technologies. A senior scientist at a rival bidder called the award 'a misdirected push from IN-SPACe' and 'just a PR stunt' for the winner; another official said the centre had been built to give Indian companies a platform and noted that at least 80 percent of Pixxel's funding is foreign. Chairperson Pawan Goenka answered that if private players had such confidence in Indian space opportunities, 'that is a strong statement'.
In August 2026 IN-SPACe invited Expressions of Interest from Indian private companies to operate ISRO's new ₹950–1,000 crore small-satellite launch complex at Kulasekarapattinam, India's second spaceport. Retired ISRO officials publicly questioned the move, arguing that IN-SPACe is an authorisation agency while commercial exploitation is NewSpace India Limited's mandate, that the complex cannot operate independently of Sriharikota's support facilities, and that launch is a safety-critical state activity; neither the ISRO chairman nor the IN-SPACe chairman would say whether the Department of Space or the Space Commission had authorised the transfer. By that month, per a government statement to Parliament, the centre had issued 113 authorisations to 52 non-government entities, 18 of them startups, in a space economy valued at about $8.4 billion in 2025, with two private commercial launches planned for FY 2026-27 and more than six in FY 2027-28.
What they build and operate
- Space activity authorisation · Service · Operational
Single-window authorisation of satellites, launches, launch facilities, ground systems and data dissemination for non-government entities, with processing of 75–120 days envisaged according to IN-SPACe's own norms document.[2] - Technology Adoption Fund · Programme · Operational
₹500 crore fund announced in February 2025 to support space technology startups and MSMEs.[3] - IN-SPACe Digital Platform · Platform · Operational
Online portal through which entities apply for and track space-activity authorisations, according to IN-SPACe's norms document.[2]
Milestones
- 24 June 2020
Union Cabinet approved the space-sector reforms creating IN-SPACe to open Indian space activity to private companies.[4][3] - 20 April 2023
Indian Space Policy-2023, the policy IN-SPACe administers, was released publicly.[2] - 03 May 2024
Released the Norms, Guidelines and Procedures defining who needs authorisation and how applications are processed.[2] - February 2025
Announced the ₹500 crore Technology Adoption Fund for space startups and MSMEs.[3] - July 2025
Granted Starlink final approval to operate satellite broadband in India, the third operator after Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES.[5] - August 2025
Awarded the ₹1,200 crore public-private national Earth-observation constellation to a PixxelSpace-led consortium that bid Re 0 — waiving the repayable loan of up to ₹350 crore on offer — over bids of ₹200 crore from an Astra Microwave Products group and ₹97 crore from GalaxEye Space with CoreEL Technologies; losing bidders and serving space scientists publicly criticised the outcome.[6] - August 2026
Invited Expressions of Interest from Indian private companies to operate the new Kulasekarapattinam small-satellite launch complex.[7][8] - 11 August 2026
Retired ISRO officials publicly questioned IN-SPACe's mandate to hand operation of the Kulasekarapattinam launch complex to a private firm, arguing that commercial exploitation belongs to NewSpace India Limited and that launch must remain a state activity; the ISRO chairman and the IN-SPACe chairman would not say whether the Department of Space or the Space Commission had authorised the transfer.[8]
Leadership
- Pawan Kumar Goenka
Chairman (as of 11 August 2026)[8]
Sources
IN-SPACeinspace.gov.ininspace.gov.in
IN-SPACeNorms, Guidelines and Procedures for Implementation of Indian Space Policy-2023inspace.gov.in
WikipediaIndian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centreen.wikipedia.org
The WeekCabinet approves reforms promoting private sector participation in spacetheweek.in
RCR Wireless NewsStarlink secures final nod for India launchrcrwireless.com
ThePrint'Zero-bid' EOS contract has Indian space players asking: 'did PixxelSpace-led consortium need it?'theprint.in
Business TodayISRO hands spaceport to private firmsbusinesstoday.in
The FederalTN rocket port in private hands: Is IN-SPACe becoming Centre's space privatisation arm?thefederal.com
Indian Defence NewsIndian Private Space Firms Set To Cross Eight Commercial Launches In FY 2027 And FY 2028indiandefensenews.in
Coverage of IN-SPACe
Launch
Second Vikram-1 first stage begins transfer to Sriharikota
The transfer starts a new campaign after July’s maiden orbital flight, but Skyroot has not announced a launch date or said that the next vehicle is integrated.
Space policy
ISRO plans gradual transfer of mature rocket manufacturing to industry
PSLV and LVM3 transfer calls were already limited to private Indian entities. The change concerns who builds and commercialises mature vehicles, not an immediate end to ISRO missions or government launch work.
Space safety
India documents start of debris-removal precursor demonstrations
The August 13 parliamentary reply connects policy and on-orbit trials, but names no target object, removal attempt, operational system or timetable.
Launch
Kulasekarapattinam operator search opens as construction continues
The latest project reply puts spending at ₹588.70 crore of ₹985.96 crore, while IN-SPACe seeks a private manager and leaves the commissioning date unstated.
Launch
Othisis publishes 3D-printed cryogenic engine hot-fire results
The Bengaluru startup now calls the liquid-oxygen/methane unit a nominal 5 kN engine after earlier reporting 4.5 kN, while test data and a reusable-vehicle demonstration remain undisclosed.
Policy
Government data puts private space investment at $618.5 million
The latest Parliament figures show capital and approvals rising after the 2020 reforms, while official documents leave key definitions unresolved and publish conflicting authorisation totals.
Launch
Vikram-1 reaches orbit on India’s first private orbital launch
Skyroot’s four-stage launcher placed two satellites in low Earth orbit on its maiden flight, crossing a threshold for India’s commercial launch ecosystem.
Industry
Inside India’s privately led national Earth-observation constellation
A Pixxel-led consortium plans a 12-satellite system spanning optical, multispectral, radar and hyperspectral imaging under a five-year public–private programme.
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