Global agencies aggressively poaching Indian spacetech talent
Domestic spacetech talent needs to be retained as they are actively sought by global agencies; Skyroot’s Vikram-I debut signals global arrival of homegrown spacetech innovators
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Bengaluru: Indian space-tech startups have come of age with many companies innovating from India for the world. Top executives of startups said that the country doesn’t have any dearth of talent, but good talent needs to be retained within India with good compensation and research facilities.
On Thursday, the country saw Skyroot Aerospace’s Infinity Campus in Hyderabad, unveiling Vikram-I, which is India’s first privately developed orbital launch vehicle capable of placing satellites into orbit. Notably, Vikram-I is designed to carry payloads of around 300 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Not only Skyroot, several spacetech startups have developed multiple innovations in the space technology space. Companies like Agnikul, Bellatrix Aerospace, Pixxel, GalaxEye Space, SatSure, SkyServe, Dhruva Space and several others have been doing pioneering work in the space technology space.
“India has a good talent base, required in the space sector. From engineers to space scientists, the country produces enough of them. However, we need to retain them within India by providing good compensation, perks, and research facilities,” Ramakrishnan Rajagopalan, Technical Advisor to SkyServe and veteran scientist of ISRO, told Bizz Buzz.
He said that good Indian talent is being aggressively poached by global agencies, given the high demand for such professionals. Indian government has been actively promoting startups in the space sector for making self-reliant in this key technology area. India’s premier space research organisation, ISRO has been nurturing several startups through grants, access to its research facilities and mentoring among others.
Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has been established to promote startups in the space sector. IN-SPACe and the Small Industries Development Bank of India Venture Capital Ltd (SIDBI Venture Capital Fund) have recently signed the contribution agreement to operationalise the Rs1,000crore Venture Capital Fund for the Indian space sector.
Even private equity funding to Indian spacetech startups has been on a rise. More than $60 million funding has so far been infused into spacetech startups till November this year.
Agnikul Cosmos raised Rs150 crore ($17 mn) in a Series C round in November 2025, while Astrome had raised $10 million in January this year.
