PM Modi Unveils India's First Private Rocket, Boosts Country's Space Ambitions

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In a significant move towards making India a global space power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled the country's first private rocket, Vikram-I, developed by Indian space start-up Skyroot. The rocket was unveiled during the inauguration of Skyroot's state-of-the-art Infinity Campus in Hyderabad through video conferencing. Skyroot's Infinity Campus, spanning 2,00,000 square feet, will serve as a hub for designing, developing, and testing multiple launch vehicles, with the capacity to build one orbital rocket every month. This marks a significant milestone for the country's private space sector, which has been rapidly growing under the government's initiatives. Skyroot, founded by Pawan Chandana and Bharath Dhaka, is India's leading private space company. The duo, both alumni of the Indian Institutes of Technology and former ISRO scientists, have made history by launching India's first private rocket, Vikram-S, into space in November 2022. The launch of Vikram-I is seen as a crucial step towards India's aspiration to become a major player in the global space industry. In related news, PM Modi also inaugurated Safran Aircraft Engine Services' new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Hyderabad, further boosting India's aviation sector. The Prime Minister emphasized the need for investors to partner with India in its journey towards becoming a developed nation, citing the country's rapidly growing aviation sector as an example. India's aviation sector has witnessed unprecedented growth, with the country now ranking among the fastest-growing domestic aviation markets in the world. The recent inauguration of the Safran facility marks a significant step towards localizing high-value aviation services, creating opportunities for Indian youth in the high-tech space industry.