Hyderabad’s new space age
Hyderabad has quietly become one of India’s most important private space hubs, with startups now present across launch, satellite platforms, and in‑orbit data services. Anchored by players like Skyroot Aerospace, Dhruva Space, and TakeMe2Space, the city is moving from being a traditional aerospace base to a full-stack space-tech cluster that can design, build, launch, and operate assets in Low Earth Orbit.
Skyroot Aerospace: Rockets from HITEC City
Skyroot Aerospace is a private launch company headquartered in Hyderabad that is building the Vikram series of small-lift launch vehicles to serve the global small satellite market. Founded in 2018 by former ISRO engineers, the company aims to make access to orbit as regular and affordable as air travel through responsive, on‑demand launches from India.
From its facilities in Hyderabad, Skyroot has developed solid and liquid propulsion technologies, tested engines like Kalam‑5 and Kalam‑250, and created modular launchers that can carry payloads of roughly 200–700 kg to Low Earth Orbit. The startup has also signed a landmark agreement with ISRO for access to test facilities and expertise, making it the first Indian spacetech startup to formally partner with the national space agency in this way.
Dhruva Space: Full‑stack satellites from Hyderabad
Dhruva Space is a National Award–winning, full‑stack space engineering company based in Hyderabad, offering satellites, launch services, and ground infrastructure as integrated solutions. Founded in 2012 by Sanjay Nekkanti, it focuses on small satellites for commercial, government, and academic markets, covering everything from design and deployment hardware to mission operations software.
The company has launched multiple space assets in recent years and is building a 280,000 sq ft facility on the outskirts of Hyderabad to design, assemble, integrate, and test spacecraft up to 500 kg. With capabilities spanning satellite platforms, deployers, antennas, and ground stations, Dhruva Space positions Hyderabad as a one-stop destination for end‑to‑end orbital infrastructure.
TakeMe2Space: AI-first orbital data centre
TakeMe2Space is one of Hyderabad’s youngest spacetech startups, building what it calls an AI‑first orbital data centre in Low Earth Orbit. Founded in 2024 by Ronak Kumar Samantray, the company is developing “thinking” satellites that can not only capture data but also run AI inference in space, dramatically reducing the volume that needs to be transmitted back to Earth.
Its flagship product, OrbitLab, is a satellite‑as‑a‑service platform that lets students, researchers, and enterprises upload AI models to satellites and pay only for compute time, with pricing as low as a few dollars per minute. With a first AI compute satellite slated to fly on ISRO’s SSLV and a roadmap to build a small constellation, TakeMe2Space is turning Hyderabad into a playground for in‑orbit experimentation and real‑time Earth observation analytics.
Why Hyderabad is the launchpad
These three startups together showcase Hyderabad’s shift from being a back‑office tech city to a front‑line builder of space infrastructure. With deep ISRO linkages, strong hardware talent, and support from local incubators and investors, the city is poised to become a preferred launchpad not just for rockets and satellites, but for the next wave of Indian spacetech entrepreneurs.
