India’s space sector is poised for a significant boom, with about
£3.8–6.6 billion opportunity emerging over the next 15 years, thanks to
Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) ambitious plans to launch
119 Earth Observation (EO) satellites. The announcement was made by Nilesh
M. Desai, Director of ISRO’s Space Applications Centre, at the recently
held National […]
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#^India’s 119 Earth Observation Satellites To Unlock £3.8–6.6 Billion OpportunityIndia’s space sector is poised for a significant boom, with about £3.8–6.6 billion opportunity emerging over the next 15 years, thanks to Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) ambitious plans to launch 119 Earth Observation (EO) satellites. The announcement was made by Nilesh M. Desai, Director of ISRO’s Space Applications Centre, at the recently held National Meet 2.0.
103 EO and 19 Technology Satellites by 2040
Desai revealed that India plans to launch 103 EO satellites and 19 technology demonstration satellites by 2040. These missions are expected to involve a mix of ISRO, NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), and private sector participation.
He also outlined plans for about 160 communication satellites, including 140 in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) to offer broadband services similar to Starlink and OneWeb. Another 20 satellites will be placed in Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO).
Breakdown of EO Satellites
The 119 EO satellites will span various weight classes:
<100 kg – 1 satellite
100–200 kg – 9 satellites
200–500 kg – 66 satellites
500–1,000 kg – 38 satellites
>1,000 kg – 5 satellites
Former ISRO Chairman Dr. S. Somanath told this writer that the estimated the total business value of the EO satellite programme alone to be around £3.8–4.8 billion, with inflation likely to increase that figure by at least 5% annually.
Industry Reaction and Market Estimates
“This is an unprecedented phase of growth. India is at a tipping point,” Jagat S. Parikh, President, Strategy & Growth at Walchandnagar Industries Ltd told this writer. The company is a major player in India’s strategic and heavy engineering sectors.
Parikh expects up to 100 launches in the next 5–6 years using a mix of launch vehicles based on payload requirements.
Tapan Misra, Founder of Sisir Radar and former Director of ISRO’s Space Applications Centre, estimates the average cost per EO satellite at about £2.85 million. That translates to about £3.39 billion for all 119 satellites. Add rocket launch costs—estimated at about £3.32 million per launch for a projected 90 launches—and the total business potential rises to about £6.82 billion.
“The value lies not just in satellites, but also in rockets and ground systems,” Misra emphasized to this writer.
For the 160 planned communication satellites, Misra anticipates a cost of around £2.85 million per satellite, totalling about £4.56 billion. Launcher costs are expected to remain consistent across GEO, MEO, and LEO deployments.
Optimising Launch and System Costs
Space sector consultant and former ISRO Deputy Director (Technology & Systems) Mukund K. Rao offers a slightly more conservative estimate.
He suggested about 50 launches would be needed, factoring in ride-sharing and satellite clustering.
“We’re looking at around 170 space systems—satellites and rockets—over 15 years,” Rao told this writer.
Rao estimates the combined satellite weight could reach 80,000 kg. At global best launch costs of $3,000–6,000/kg, Rao places India’s potential launch costs at about £285–380 million over the full 15-year period, or roughly about £28.5 million annually.
He added that the cost of the satellites themselves—drawing from historical ISRO missions like Resourcesat—could average around £190–285 million annually, totalling about £2.85–4.28 billion over 15 years.
Including ground systems, operations, insurance, and user application development, Rao adds an additional around £190–475 million over 15 years.
A Transformative Moment for Indian Space Sector
“In total, we’re talking about £3.8–4.8 billion over 15 years for ISRO’s Earth Observation roadmap,” Rao concluded.
With a surge in planned satellite deployments and a growing role for private players, India’s space sector is rapidly becoming a multi-billion pound industry in the making—fueled by innovation, ambition, and increasing global relevance.
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