12 August 2025 of the Indian National Center for the Promotion and Authorization of Space Activities (IN-SPACe) announced, that a consortium led by Google-backed startup PixxelSpace has been awarded a contract to build India's first commercial Earth observation satellite system at a cost of over 12 billions of rupees (about 137 millions of dollars) over the next five years. The consortium includes local space companies Piersight Space, Satsure Analytics India and Dhruva Space, which will be jointly designed, will build and operate satellites.
The PixxelSpace consortium won the tender, beating Indian defense equipment manufacturers Astra Microwave and Bharat Electronics. The project involves launching 12 Earth observation satellites, equipped with panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral and microwave sensors with a synthetic aperture (SAR). The constellation will be deployed in phases over four years and will provide ready-to-analyze data and additional services for climate change monitoring, disaster management, of agriculture, infrastructure, national security and urban planning.
This initiative supports the Government of India's drive towards self-sufficiency, in particular, reducing dependence on foreign systems, such as US GPS. Indian Regional Navigation System NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) provides more accurate navigation on the territory of the country, contributing to economic development. Within the framework of the policy of self-sufficiency, which is promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is also pushing for quick adaptation of smartphones to NavIC, which causes concern for Samsung companies, Xiaomi and Apple.
Project, implemented according to the public-private partnership model (EO-PPP), provides, that the consortium will be responsible for the production of the satellites, launches from Indian territory, creation of ground infrastructure and commercialization of data. The government will provide strategic, technical and political support. Expected, that the system will reduce India's dependence on foreign Earth observation data, will strengthen data sovereignty and meet the global demand for geospatial intelligence, strengthening India's position in the space industry.
Source: https://www.tradingview.com