Sky is the limit: Backed by investors and hope, startups take off for space

Many Indian Space Research Organisation employees are leaving the comfort of a paycheck and launching their own startups

They may be tiny and working on a tight budget, but there is no dearth of enthusiasm in India’s fledgling space industry. Adventurous space entrepreneurs see sky as the limit going by the magnitude of opportunity in the sector.

The small satellite launch market alone is estimated to be worth $69 billion by 2027, according to a report by satellite applications consultant Euroconsult. It estimates 7,000 small satellites to be launched globally over the next eight years. When other aspects of the space market are added to this, the overall industry becomes much bigger at $350 billion, and India has a