India marked a milestone in its private space sector as Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched Vikram-1, the country’s first privately built orbital rocket, from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. The mission, named Mission Aagaman, placed technology demonstration payloads from Indian and international clients into low Earth orbit, along with token payloads including a handwritten ‘Vande Mataram’ postcard of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, postcards of scientists and astronauts, and a micro-art installation.Ahead of the launch, Skyroot Aerospace CEO and co-founder Pawan Kumar Chandana described the mission as a historic moment for India’s space ecosystem. “Today we are here at India’s spaceport, Sriharikota, where we will launch India’s first private orbital rocket. First time in India that a private company has developed an orbital rocket and is taking it to the launch site and it will take off soon. It is a proud moment for India,” Chandana said.He added, “Very few companies in the world have launched a rocket into orbit and very few companies in the world are operating regular orbital rockets. This is a very unique capability that the world needs. As an Indian company, we are very proud to launch our first test flight of the Vikram-1 soon.”Behind the achievement is a journey that began with academic struggles and eventually took Chandana from classrooms in Hyderabad to India’s space program and later to building one of the country’s leading private space companies.
Of struggling in maths at IIT Kharagpur
Born in Hyderabad in 1991, Chandana’s school years did not hint at a future in rocket science. He once scored just 51 in maths, a subject that later became central to his engineering career.Encouraged by his father, he enrolled in coaching for the IIT entrance test. The experience gradually transformed his approach to mathematics, helping him qualify for IIT Kharagpur in his first attempt.In 2007, Chandana joined IIT Kharagpur where she pursued a dual B.Tech-M.Tech program in Mechanical Engineering. While many of her peers opted for corporate careers, Chandana chose to pursue her interest in space technology.
Building rockets at ISRO
After graduation, Chandana joined the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in 2012. For nearly six years at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in Thiruvananthapuram, he worked on the GSLV Mk-III program, the S-200 solid rocket booster and later served as the Deputy Project Director for the Launch of Small Satellite Vehicles.His contributions earned him an internal innovation award in 2016. However, Chandana also began exploring the possibility of establishing a private space company, despite the absence of a policy framework for private participation at the time.
Taking the entrepreneurial leap
In 2018, Chandana resigned from ISRO and co-founded Skyroot Aerospace with former ISRO engineer Naga Bharath Daka.Starting a space technology company presents financial challenges. Chandana reached out to entrepreneur Mukesh Bansal through LinkedIn, seeking support. Bansal invested $1.5 million in the company. During the pandemic, additional support came from the founders of Greenko, which allowed Skyroot to continue with its development plans.The company achieved another milestone in 2020 by successfully testing the Raman-1 engine, becoming the first Indian private company to test a rocket engine.
The rise of skyroot in India’s private space sector
Following the opening of India’s space sector to private companies in 2021, Skyroot signed a deal with ISRO and raised $51 million in what was then India’s largest deep-tech funding round.In November 2022, the company launched Vikram-S, India’s first privately developed suborbital rocket under the Prarambh mission.The successful launch of Vikram-1 now places Skyroot among a small group of private companies worldwide capable of developing and launching orbital rockets.
Company valuation and future
Skyroot Aerospace was valued at around $1.1 billion after raising $60 million in a funding round in May 2026. Although Chandana has not publicly disclosed her personal net worth, her wealth is closely related to the company’s valuation.With Vikram-1 successfully reaching orbit, Chandana’s journey reflects the rapid growth of India’s private space sector, from a student who struggled with maths to leading one of the country’s largest commercial space missions.