Skyroot CEO says demand for small satellite launches is outpacing supply as Vikram-1 readies for liftoff

Skyroot founders, COO N Bharath Daka and CEO Pawan Kr Chandana

The global market for small-satellite launches is expanding faster than manufacturers can supply rockets, Skyroot Aerospace CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana told Moneycontrol.

The startup hopes to to tap into this trend as it prepares to launch its Vikram-1 orbital rocket, Chandana said.

Speaking to Moneycontrol, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the company's new 200,000 sq. ft Infinity manufacturing campus in Hyderabad, Chandana said that demand for rockets has consistently exceeded available capacity in the small-lift segment.

"The market demand is pretty high. I don’t think we can produce enough rockets to meet the demand," Chandana said, noting that Vikram-1 can lift up to 500 kg per mission even as customer needs continue to multiply.

“Our payload capacity is a maximum of 500 kilograms per launch, but the requirement is much larger. The market is much larger than what we can currently serve," he said.

Chandana pointed to a rising global requirement for dedicated launches, explaining that customers often avoid larger rockets because they need specific orbits. “That makes this segment very underserved today,” he said.

Chandana said, “There is a rising requirement globally for dedicated launches. Customers don’t always want to go on a larger rocket because they need specific orbits. That makes this segment very underserved today.”

“There are hardly any players serving dedicated launch needs — Rocket Lab is the only one doing this consistently. The demand is already far greater than what one or two players can handle," he added.

Pricing and production throughput, he said, will ultimately determine how many missions the startup can support each year.

Skyroot’s new Infinity manufacturing campus — inaugurated recently by the Prime Minister — is designed to address that bottleneck.

The 200,000 sq. ft facility is now fully operational and will manufacture both Vikram-1 and Vikram-2 rockets.

It includes separation-test infrastructure, liquid-engine testing systems (excluding hot-fire capability), carbon-composite winding lines and precision machining units. Chandana said most of the machinery is sourced from domestic manufacturers.

“Critical parts of the rocket will be manufactured here,” he said, while adding that Skyroot will continue to rely on the existing ISRO supply chain for several smaller components.

The company currently employs just over 1,000 people, with more than 600 expected to work out of the Infinity campus alone.

On the status of Vikram-1, Chandana confirmed that all engine tests have been completed successfully. The vehicle is now undergoing final vibration tests, section-level checks and integrated system testing.

The launch is targeted for early next quarter and will mark Skyroot’s first orbital mission, following its 2022 sub-orbital Vikram-S flight.

Crucially, the rocket’s debut commercial mission is already at full capacity. “Whatever payload we wanted to give to customers for this first launch is already booked,” Chandana said, adding that customer names will be announced closer to liftoff.

Addressing comparisons with global heavyweights, Chandana said Skyroot is not attempting to compete with SpaceX. Instead, its focus is the dedicated launch market, which serves customers who need customised orbital drop-offs.

“If somebody wants a very unique orbit, they can’t book a larger vehicle,” he said. “It’s like booking a cab instead of a train — you choose your timing and your destination.”

Looking ahead, Chandana said Skyroot aims to streamline its launch operations further. While promotional materials describe a 24-hour assembly-to-launch cycle, he clarified that this remains an aspirational target

For now, the company’s focus remains squarely on clearing the final steps toward Vikram-1’s first orbital flight.