4 days Ago
The United States is no longer just the top destination for Indian students-India's space tech startups now see it as a crucial launchpad for global growth. From propulsion systems to satellite analytics, startups are setting up offices, subsidiaries and manufacturing units in the US to tap into its $237 billion space economy. The firms aim to build trust in a credibility-heavy market while navigating through defence and regulatory frameworks.
Startups such as Bellatrix Aerospace, Pixxel, and Digantara have already set up shop in the US, while many others are making their way through partnerships and MoUs to establish their presence after they have proved their technologies, several founders told ET. Infosys-backed GalaxEye, headquartered in Bengaluru, said it will expand operations to the US in the next 12 to 15 months after its Drishti Mission is launched. IIT-Madras incubated Bellatrix Aerospace, which makes propulsion systems for satellites-much like engines for cars- and said that since over 50% of the global commercial space market is from the US, any space company needs to have a presence there.
Setting up a facility helps us create value locally and access more opportunities, cofounder Yashas Karanam said.120320896Spacetech move westwards Last week, Bellatrix announced a manufacturing facility in Delaware, which will have a capacity of building 40-50 propulsion systems a year, with plans to scale it to 100 in a few years. Digantara, a space situational awareness and defence startup, launched operations in Colorado Springs, US, in February and is actively setting up a manufacturing unit there.
Anirudh Sharma, cofounder, said so far, they have invested $2.5 million and plan to scale this up to $15 million. Digantara US is registered as an American company and not a subsidiary, the cofounder emphasised.
Given the current geopolitical climate, it's hard for an Indian company to sell directly in the US. That's where having a local entity becomes crucial, especially because space tech is dual-use-civil and defence, Sharma told ET. Google-backed Pixxel Aerospace, which is registered in the US, believes American companies and customers are willing to pay more for cutting-edge technology, often backed by large R&D budgets.
Pixxel set up its base in the US in 2019, and it primarily focuses on business development and data analytics work. All satellite hardware and manufacturing continue in India, Awais Ahmed, Pixxel's CEO, said. He also hinted at setting up a manufacturing unit in the US by 2026.
GalaxEye's CEO Suyash Singh, said Indian space companies should only expand if they offer something unique..
