New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Indian space start-up Skyroot’s Infinity Campus in Hyderabad via video conferencing on Thursday. PM Modi also launched Skyroot’s first orbital rocket, Vikram-I, which has the capability to launch satellites into orbit. This state-of-the-art campus will have approximately 200,000 square feet of workspace to design, develop, integrate, and test multiple launch vehicles, with the capacity to produce one orbital rocket per month. Skyroot is India’s top private space company, founded by Pawan Chandna and Bharat Dhaka.
Both are alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology and former ISRO scientists turned entrepreneurs. According to a PMO press release, Skyroot launched its sub-orbital rocket, Vikram-S, in November 2022, becoming the first Indian private company to launch a rocket into space. This is being considered a step towards making India a global space power. Earlier on Wednesday, PM Modi virtually inaugurated Safran Aircraft Engine Services’ new Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Hyderabad. This reflects the rapid growth of India’s aviation sector. PM Modi said that India is dreaming big, doing great, and delivering the best. He appealed to investors to come to India as co-creators in the journey towards a developed India.
The Prime Minister attended the ceremony via video conferencing. He said that Safran’s largest Indian engine Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility, to be built at the GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park, will strengthen India’s position as a global MRO hub.
PM Modi stated that this facility is an important step in India’s efforts to localize high-value aviation services and will create opportunities for youth in the high-tech space sector. PM Modi said, “India’s aviation sector has grown rapidly in the last few years. Today, India is one of the fastest-growing domestic aviation markets in the world. Our domestic market is now the third largest globally. The expectations of the people of India are sky-high.”
PM Modi noted that India previously relied on foreign facilities. 85% of MRO work was conducted on foreign soil. This led to high costs and prolonged grounding of aircraft. He said the government is now working to change this situation.
