Odisha-based Serendipity Space successfully demonstrated drug crystallisation processes on a satellite prototype in a near-space mission. This breakthrough aims to enable pharmaceutical manufacturing in low Earth orbit, leveraging microgravity to create superior drug crystal structures for enhanced solubility, stability, and effectiveness. The mission tested core technologies, including an autonomous pharmaceutical factory, and was inspired by advancements made on the International Space Station.
The race for space has got real, and it is attracting funding like never before. In 2022 so far, funding to private players in the space sector has jumped a whopping 61.5 per cent - soaring to $108.52 million compared to $67.2 million in 2021. Propelling it is the government's decision to open up the space sector to private players and the work done by companies like Skyroot Aerospace, the Hyderabad-based start-up behind the launch of India's first privately developed rocket on November 18.
Buying a mature rocket technology gives companies the designs and hardware know-how, but not necessarily the decades of engineering wisdom needed to make it work.
Their message is blunt: Public scientific wealth should not be transferred at what they describe as 'throwaway prices'.capability, recruitment, promotional avenues and the voice of its employees.
While Team Indus had backing from Nandan Nilekani, Ratan Tata and Flipkart founders Sachin and Binny Bansal, it could not even muster half of the Rs 4.5 billion it required for the mission to the moon.
The updated Maruti Suzuki Baleno redefines the premium hatchback segment in India with its aggressive new look, advanced Level 2 ADAS features, and a more fuel-efficient Z series petrol engine, catering to the evolving demands of tech-savvy car buyers.
While recovery efforts are ongoing, the likelihood of recovery currently appears low.
Concerns are rising about the status of GalaxEye Space's Mission Drishti, India's first Made in India OptoSAR satellite, launched on May 3. Reports suggest the satellite is tumbling in space, and experts highlight potential issues with solar panel deployment and stabilisation. The company has remained silent on the matter, fueling further speculation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded young Indian innovators for the country's first privately developed orbital rocket, Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1, which made India the third nation with private orbital launch capabilities. While praising the 28-year-old average age of the Skyroot team, Modi made a veiled remark about a "56-year-old young man," widely understood to be a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently turned 56.
In the next 36 months nearly 25 to 40 per cent of jobs will be under threat from AI and job losses are inevitable.
While industry is upbeat, start-ups in the space sector are finding it difficult to cater to the demand due to a lack of funding, issues related to policy like foreign funding, intellectual property, etc, and a lack of support in testing.
Chennai-based space start-up Agnikul Cosmos has successfully tested its 3D-printed booster engine, 'Agnite', marking a significant advancement in reducing production complexity and turnaround time for space missions.
Underlining that students are the "architects of India's future," President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said the government is taking comprehensive steps to reform public examinations to completely curb paper leaks and unfair means, making the system transparent, secure, and trustworthy.
In her address to the nation on the eve of the country's 80th Independence Day, the president stressed that just as government and society remain united to ensure national security, everyone must contribute through joint and concerted efforts to safeguard the present and future of students.
The strategic partnership aims to unify the two companies' end-to-end, indigenously-developed capabilities across the upstream and downstream segments of the Space value chain.
India is set to take its first steps towards its own human space flight when the uncrewed Gaganyaan mission soars to the skies later this year. Private players in the space sector are also gearing up for launching satellites on home-built rockets.
Billionaire and Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra along with top Silicon Valley investors Naval Ravikant and Balaji Srinivasan are backing space tech start-up Agnikul as part of a new funding round. Chennai-based Agnikul said, on Thursday, that it has raised $11 million in Series A funding round led by Mayfield India. It is the largest funding round for a private Indian space technology company in the country. Existing investors pi Ventures, Speciale Invest and Artha Venture Fund also invested in this round.
San Francisco is a coastal megacity yet at times it can feel like a foggy hill station full of picturesque views, recalls Dinesh Raheja after visiting one of America's prettiest cities.
A Spanish startup, Orbital Paradigm, claims its payload, KID, survived the failed PSLV-C62 mission and transmitted data, despite ISRO's silence on the matter. The mission, carrying 16 satellites, failed due to issues in the rocket's third stage.
From a surge in startups to crewed mission preparations, 2025 marks a transformative year as India eyes $44 billion space economy by 2033.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged industry and start-ups to focus on quality and make excellence a benchmark in manufacturing. He also lauded the start-up ecosystem and greeted the nation on National Voters Day and Republic Day.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has emphasised the need for India to develop a robust drone manufacturing ecosystem to enhance its defence capabilities, drawing lessons from recent global conflicts.
'The launch of Nila, our very first satellite was very emotional as well as nerve wracking. We tried to calm ourselves by cracking some poor jokes!'
While participation of start-ups in the space sector has largely been minimal so far, their involvement will be key towards building India's very own aerospace companies such as Maxar, Elon Musk's SpaceX and Rocket Labs, according to experts.
Punjab FC secured a decisive 3-1 victory over Kerala Blasters FC in their Indian Super League match, marking their third consecutive win. Goals from Samir Zeljkovic, Bede Osuji, and Dani Ramirez in the first half sealed the win, while Kerala Blasters struggled to mount a comeback.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has highlighted the emergence of space as a new domain of warfare and emphasized the need for developing a "space culture" to prepare for future conflicts. He called for dedicated space warfare schools and research institutions to generate ideas, develop doctrines and strategies, and create new capabilities for space warfare. Chauhan believes that space will be crucial for future warfare, impacting all traditional domains of land, sea, and air. The CDS's remarks were made at the Indian DefSpace Symposium, where he also highlighted the importance of space research and its role in shaping the future of warfare.
'It is our duty to keep space sustainable and free of debris.'
Companies' rent and lease expenses have seen a significant decline relative to the money they make since the pandemic.
'You can imagine for India what Shuks means not just to the billions of people in India but the entire Indian diaspora around the world.'
'With India's growing capabilities in the space sector, this creates promising opportunities for enhanced collaboration and market access.'
Lauding India's ambitious space programme, The New York Times has said the country, currently witnessing an 'explosive' growth in space-tech start-ups, is set to 'transform the planet's connection to the final frontier' and can emerge as a 'counterweight' to China.
'The current launch is a sounding rocket, this cannot be called a milestone. The importance is this is for the first time a private player is doing it.'
Two modules published by the NCERT, Swadeshi: Vocal for Local (for middle stage) and Swadeshi: For a Self-Reliant India (for secondary stage), carry excerpts from the prime minister's Independence Day address in which he stressed that self-reliance would drive India's journey towards a Viksit Bharat.
Pixxel has raised $95 million in funding and with the company's commercial Firefly satellites up in orbit selling data globally 'we know and seen what it takes to make this business work.'
The 6-metre tall launch vehicle Vikram-S is named after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the country's space programme and lifted off at 11.30 am.
'The defence forces have come up with certain problems they face in the drone space.' 'Recently we had a meeting at which they presented the problems to many of our start-ups and faculty.' 'Some of the start-ups have started working on the problems.'
Yamuna Kalyani reveals how she battled stereotypes to build UniteAR, an augmented reality platform that helps users create interactive AR experiences for personal and commercial purposes.
Graphic designers, writers, testers, draftsmen and editors are seeing their traditional roles replaced by AI, warns Dr Anshuka Kulkarni, associate professor and head, School of Creative Studies, DYPU.
An opportunity to enter a burgeoning sector at a low valuation and favourable policies are propelling some of India's largest corporate groups to scoop up drone start-ups. "Indian corporations lost the race in aerospace and space tech. "No one wants to miss the bus this time. "These are seasoned businessmen and they realise that the market cap of tech companies with problem-solving capabilities will exponentially rise in future," says Vipul Singh, CEO of Aarav Unmanned Systems (AUS).
Showcasing India as an attractive investment destination, Modi said the country has political and economic stability as well as transparency and predictability in policy decisions.
