India's space ambitions fuel startup fundraising boom

Cost-cutting tech like 3D-printed engines help nation punch above its weight

20240905N Skyroot Aerospace

Skyroot Aerospace in 2022 became the first Indian private-sector company to conduct a successful rocket launch. (Skyroot Aerospace)

RYOSUKE HANADA, Nikkei staff writer

MUMBAI -- Startups are giving India's space industry a boost with technology that aims to slash the cost of rocket launches, drawing a surge in funding.

An experimental rocket developed by Agnikul Cosmos lifted off from a launchpad in May on Sriharikota island in southern India. The launch was a "remarkable feat which will make the entire nation proud!" Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter.

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