Indian Consortium Wins $143 Million, Five Year Contract
Will Build Nation’s First Private Earth Observation Satellite Network
A private Indian consortium will deliver the nation's first Earth Observation Satellite System, marking a historic shift toward commercial space capabilities. SatSure, Pixxel Space, PierSight, and Dhruva Space won the contract to build, operate, and commercialize the constellation under the Earth Observation Public-Private-Partnership program announced by IN-SPACe.
"This initiative signals the coming of age of India's private space industry in the space sector."
Dr. Pawan Goenka, IN-SPACe
The project involves deploying 12 satellites over the next four to five years with an investment of more than $143 million under a public-private partnership program.The consortium will create India's first fully indigenous, fully commercial satellite constellation combining multiple sensor technologies.
"This initiative signals the coming of age of India's private space industry in the space sector. It demonstrates the capability and confidence of Indian companies to lead large-scale, technologically advanced, and commercially viable space missions that serve both national and global markets," said Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe. "The EO-PPP model fosters an ecosystem where public and private capabilities reinforce each other to drive growth, innovation, and self-reliance."
Pixxel Space will serve as the lead company for the project, which integrates panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral, and synthetic aperture radar payloads. The multi-sensor approach enables 24-hour operations in all weather conditions while delivering comprehensive Earth intelligence capabilities.
"We are excited to have received this opportunity from IN-SPACe in contributing to building India's sovereign capabilities in the domain of satellite Earth observation and data intelligence," said Prateep Basu, co-founder and CEO of SatSure. "Together, with Pixxel Space, PierSight, and Dhruva Space, we have ensured that not only do we provide the most comprehensive solution for India's domestic EO needs, but also usher in a new era of private sector collaboration."
The partnership leverages each company's specialized expertise. Dhruva Space will contribute satellite platforms and mission operations through its upcoming 280,000-square-foot manufacturing complex in Telangana. PierSight brings synthetic aperture radar capabilities for maritime monitoring, while SatSure provides artificial intelligence-driven imagery interpretation and analytics.
Awais Ahmed, founder and CEO of Pixxel, stressed the complementary strengths of the partnership. "Together, we're building a fully indigenous EO system that will deliver unmatched versatility for national priorities and global applications, and showcase the depth and capability of India's private space sector," Ahmed said.
The constellation will deliver high-resolution imagery with sub-meter spatial resolution, enabling applications across agriculture, defense, maritime monitoring, oil and gas, mining, and environmental monitoring sectors. The system aims to provide both domestic Earth observation capabilities and commercial services for global markets.
"Our upcoming state-of-the-art spacecraft manufacturing complex will substantially augment our high-throughput manufacturing, assembly, integration, and test capacity, enabling rapid delivery of bespoke satellites," said Sanjay Nekkanti, co-founder and CEO of Dhruva Space.
PierSight's contribution focuses on ensuring continuous operational capabilities. "SAR makes the constellation operational 24/7 in all weather conditions. Our role is to deliver radar-first, analysis-ready products with low latency, so agencies and enterprises get alerts and evidence, not just raw data," said Gaurav Seth, co-founder and CEO of PierSight.
The Earth Observation Public-Private-Partnership program represents a structural shift in India's space industry approach, moving from government-led missions to commercial partnerships. The initiative aims to establish India as a leader in space-powered solutions while creating a sovereign Earth intelligence ecosystem.
The project timeline spans three to five years for full constellation deployment, with the satellites designed to provide daily revisit frequency anywhere on Earth. The system will serve both national security requirements and commercial applications across multiple industries.