Dhruva Space gets Rs 105 Cr from Centre for developing satellite platform
The satellite platform will have a flat-pack architecture that enables efficient launch stacking, faster system integration, and improved deployment timelines, making it suitable for large-scale satellite deployments.
Hyderabad-based Dhruva Space has received a grant of Rs 105 crore from the Centre's Research, Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF) for Project Garud, the startup's programme that focuses on developing a standardised 500 kg-class platform designed for high-volume satellite deployment.
A satellite platform is a component of a satellite that provides essential services to the payload and enables the mission objectives, such as power and communication.
In a statement on Thursday, Abhay Egoor, Co-founder of Dhruva Space, said, “Through RDIF, Dhruva Space is building an indigenous satellite platform and manufacturing ecosystem capable of supporting high-volume deployment requirements across communications, intelligence, and strategic applications.”
The satellite platform will have a flat-pack architecture that enables efficient launch stacking, faster system integration, and improved deployment timelines, making it suitable for large-scale satellite deployments, the company said.
According to the company, existing systems are typically custom-built, resulting in extended development cycles and limited reusability.
By establishing a made-in-India architecture, Project Garud will reduce reliance on foreign satellite platforms and subsystems, and strengthen supply chain resilience for communications and intelligence infrastructure, said the company in a statement.
“Dhruva Space will also establish the infrastructure, tooling, and industrial processes required for high-volume satellite manufacturing at scale. The roadmap is designed around a production cadence capable of supporting up to two satellites per day, enabling an annualised manufacturing potential of approximately 500-600 satellites across multiple mission configurations,” it added.
India’s space startup ecosystem is expanding rapidly. The government said in February that registered space startups had crossed 400 and sector investment had topped $500 million.
IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) has rolled out a Rs 500-crore Technology Adoption Fund, with seed grants of up to Rs 1 crore and a dedicated venture capital fund to help startups move from prototype to commercial deployment.
Private capital is deepening too. Earlier this month, Skyroot Aerospace became India’s first spacetech unicorn after raising $60 million from GIC and Sherpalo Ventures, with BlackRock also participating in the round.
Meanwhile, IN-SPACe has pointed to the 2025 transfer of SSLV technology to HAL and a 2026 plan for an Earth-observation satellite constellation on a PPP model as signs that India is moving towards more industrial-scale space manufacturing.
(With inputs from PTI)