Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka are no longer known only as former scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Today, they stand at the forefront of India’s rapidly expanding private space industry, leading Skyroot Aerospace as it prepares to redefine the country’s commercial space ambitions with the Vikram-1 launch vehicle. Their journey from government laboratories to building one of India’s most valuable space technology startups reflects the transformation taking place across India’s space ecosystem.
The story of Skyroot Aerospace began with a question that challenged decades of conventional thinking. What if launching satellites into space could become as accessible, reliable and commercially viable as modern air travel? Rather than accepting the traditional limitations of space missions, Chandana and Daka believed that faster innovation, lower launch costs and private-sector efficiency could unlock an entirely new era for India’s space capabilities.
That belief led the two engineers to establish Skyroot Aerospace in Hyderabad in 2018. At a time when India’s private space industry was still in its infancy, their vision appeared ambitious. Yet within a few years, the company emerged as one of the country’s biggest success stories in deep technology, combining advanced engineering with startup agility to develop indigenous launch vehicles capable of serving the rapidly growing global satellite market.
For Pawan Kumar Chandana, rockets have always represented far more than machines. On his LinkedIn profile, he describes them as “the most fascinating machinery ever built by humans” while arguing that they require a new techno-economic transformation to expand humanity’s access to space. That philosophy continues to shape Skyroot’s long-term vision of making space more accessible for governments, research organisations and commercial customers alike.
Chandana’s academic journey laid the foundation for that ambition. He studied Mechanical Engineering and later completed a Master’s degree in Thermal Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur between 2007 and 2012. Although he later became one of India’s prominent space entrepreneurs, his early years were marked by persistence rather than instant brilliance. Growing up in a middle-class family in Hyderabad, he reportedly struggled with mathematics and science during his junior school years. Encouragement from his father helped him regain confidence and pursue engineering, a decision that ultimately changed the course of his career.
After graduating from IIT, Chandana joined ISRO in 2012, where he spent nearly six years working on some of India’s most critical launch vehicle programmes. His work included contributions to the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III), India’s heaviest launch vehicle. During his tenure, he also received an internal innovation award, highlighting his technical capabilities and problem-solving approach within the organisation.
While Chandana focused on propulsion and launch vehicle development, Naga Bharath Daka brought expertise in avionics and electronics. An alumnus of IIT Madras, Daka earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering before completing a master’s programme specialising in Microelectronics and VLSI Design in 2012.
His professional journey also began at ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, where he worked as an avionics engineer between 2012 and 2015. During that period, he designed several avionics modules used in Indian launch vehicles, gaining hands-on experience with complex aerospace systems. Later, he joined American semiconductor company Xilinx, where he spent nearly three years expanding his expertise in advanced electronics before deciding to return to India’s emerging space startup ecosystem.
By 2018, Chandana and Daka recognised that India’s space sector was approaching a historic turning point. Around the world, private companies were reshaping commercial space launches through innovation and reusable technologies. India possessed decades of scientific expertise, but private participation remained limited. The two former ISRO engineers believed that combining India’s engineering talent with entrepreneurial speed could produce globally competitive launch services.
That vision gave birth to Skyroot Aerospace.
What initially started as a small startup has grown into an organisation employing around 1,000 engineers, scientists and technology professionals. Operating from Hyderabad, the company develops launch vehicles, propulsion systems and advanced aerospace technologies while leveraging India’s engineering ecosystem to compete internationally.
The company’s progress has been marked by a series of technological milestones. In 2020, Skyroot successfully conducted India’s first static fire test of a privately developed rocket engine named Raman-1. The achievement demonstrated that private companies could independently design and test sophisticated propulsion systems within India.
Momentum continued the following year when Skyroot successfully test-fired Dhawan-1, India’s first privately developed cryogenic rocket engine. Cryogenic propulsion represents one of the most technically demanding areas of rocket engineering because it requires fuels stored at extremely low temperatures while delivering high efficiency for orbital missions. Successfully developing such technology positioned the startup among a small group of organisations capable of mastering advanced launch systems.
The company’s defining breakthrough arrived in November 2022 with Mission Prarambh. Skyroot successfully launched Vikram-S, India’s first privately built rocket. Although it was a sub-orbital technology demonstration mission, the launch carried enormous symbolic and technological significance. It demonstrated that Indian private companies could independently design, build and launch rockets while opening a new chapter in the country’s space programme.
Vikram-S was never intended to be the final destination. Instead, it served as the technological foundation for Vikram-1, an orbital-class launch vehicle designed to place satellites into space for commercial and scientific customers. As global demand for small satellite launches continues to grow, Vikram-1 represents Skyroot’s effort to position India as a competitive player in the international launch market.
The broader policy environment also shifted in Skyroot’s favour. Following the Indian government’s decision to open the space sector to greater private participation, Skyroot became the first private company to sign a memorandum of understanding with ISRO in 2023 for space-related programmes. The agreement reflected a significant change in India’s approach to space exploration, where government institutions and private companies increasingly work together to accelerate innovation.
Investor confidence followed technological success. Skyroot secured funding worth approximately 51 million US dollars, one of the largest investments received by an Indian deep-tech startup at the time. The capital enabled the company to expand research, manufacturing and testing infrastructure while preparing for future commercial launches.
Its growth accelerated further over the next two years. In 2024, Skyroot successfully tested Kalam-250, India’s largest privately developed rocket stage. The achievement strengthened confidence in the company’s ability to build larger and more capable launch systems.
The momentum continued in 2025 when Skyroot Aerospace achieved unicorn status after raising another 60 million US dollars from global investors, including Sherpalo, GIC, BlackRock, Greenko Group, Arkam Ventures and Playbook Partners. The funding reflected increasing international interest in India’s growing space technology sector and reinforced Skyroot’s position among the country’s leading deep-tech companies.
Another milestone followed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Skyroot’s large-scale private rocket manufacturing facility on May 7. The facility is expected to significantly increase India’s domestic rocket production capacity while supporting future commercial launch missions.
For Chandana, the mission extends beyond building rockets. He describes himself as a hands-on engineer driven by the goal of “Open Space for All,” reflecting Skyroot’s broader ambition of reducing launch costs and expanding access to space technology. Meanwhile, Daka continues overseeing operations with the objective of building what he calls India’s most innovative and globally competitive SpaceTech company.
Their partnership represents a broader shift within India’s scientific landscape. Engineers who once developed technology exclusively within government institutions are now leading private enterprises capable of attracting international investment, creating high-skilled employment and competing globally.
The emergence of companies such as Skyroot Aerospace also reflects India’s changing position in the global space economy. As satellite deployments increase for communications, Earth observation, navigation and scientific research, demand for reliable and cost-effective launch services continues to rise. Indian startups are seeking to capture a share of that expanding market while building technologies that complement the country’s long-established public space programme.
The journey from ISRO laboratories to leading a billion-dollar space technology company illustrates how expertise developed through public research institutions can fuel private innovation. As Vikram-1 moves closer to operational missions, Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka have become two of the most recognisable faces of India’s next-generation space industry, demonstrating that the country’s ambitions now extend beyond government-led exploration to a future where private enterprise plays an equally important role in reaching space.