Skyroot Aerospace
India's first private rocket to orbit
Skyroot Aerospace operates in the launch sector of the space industry, is headquartered in India, was founded in 2018, raised $160M (Series B).
On our watchlist: Vikram-1 reached orbit on its first flight in July 2026; the next test is whether it can fly again quickly.
Skyroot Aerospace at a glance
| Status | Activechecked September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Sectors | Launch, Propulsion |
| Headquarters | India |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Stage | Series B |
| Disclosed funding | $160M |
| Website | skyroot.in |
Record last updated September 2026 · how we verify · spotted something outdated? Tell us.
Timeline & funding
- July 2026Achievement
- May 2026Funding
- May 2026FundingGrowth round: $60M (about $50M equity and $10M debt)↗Equity co-led by Sherpalo Ventures and GIC, with Playbook Partners, Arkam Ventures and the Greenko Group founders; debt from funds affiliated with BlackRock
- November 2025Company
- August 2025Achievement
- October 2023Funding
- October 2023FundingPre-Series C: $27.5M↗Led by Temasek
- November 2022Achievement
- September 2022Funding
- September 2022FundingSeries B: $51M↗Led by GIC, with Mukesh Bansal, the Greenko Group founders, Solar Industries India, Sherpalo Ventures, Neeraj Arora and Wami Capital
- January 2022FundingBridge to Series B: $4.5M↗Led by Sherpalo Ventures
- November 2021Achievement
- May 2021Funding
- May 2021Funding
Mission
Hyderabad rocket builder whose Vikram-1 reached orbit on its first flight in July 2026, the first orbital launch by a private Indian company.
Skyroot Aerospace builds small rockets in Hyderabad. Its first orbital rocket, Vikram-1, is designed to carry up to 350 kg to low Earth orbit. On 18 July 2026 it lifted off from Sriharikota on its first flight and reached orbit. It deployed test payloads for Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve and DCubed, and a satellite of Skyroot's own. No private Indian company had reached orbit before.
Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka started Skyroot in 2018, after working as engineers at ISRO. Its first launch came in November 2022, when Vikram-S flew a suborbital test to 88.8 km. That was the first rocket launch by a private Indian company. In August 2025 Skyroot test-fired Kalam-1200, the solid motor that serves as Vikram-1's first stage, for about 110 seconds. That November, Prime Minister Modi opened the company's new Infinity Campus in Hyderabad and unveiled Vikram-1.
The rocket flew later than first planned. In 2021 Skyroot expected to have Vikram-1 on the launch pad by mid-2022. In May 2026 it raised $60 million at a valuation of $1.1 billion, which made it India's first space tech unicorn. The next rocket, Vikram-2, is planned for 2027. It is designed to carry about a tonne and will have a cryogenic stage. Skyroot first test-fired a cryogenic engine, Dhawan-1, in 2021. Chandana has said the aim now is several launches in quick succession, to show that Vikram-1 is reliable.
Team
- Pawan Kumar Chandana · Co-Founder & CEO
- Naga Bharath Daka · Co-Founder & COO
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