India's Orbital Infrastructure Map: 28 Companies Building the Infrastructure Layer of the Earth Economy
Earth-orbit infrastructure or orbital infrastructure is the set of technologies and services that determine what happens to a spacecraft after it reaches orbit, rather than how it gets there. This includes tracking, mobility, docking, servicing, refuelling, debris removal, computing / AI, manufacturing, habitats and re-entry.
Why Earth-orbit infrastructure matters
The first phase of India's private space economy was about getting into space - launch vehicles, satellites, and the ground infrastructure to deploy them. The next phase is increasingly about what happens next.
This is akin to how the infrastructure market on earth has unfolded, once the assets are running what matters is how they are serviced, how their life can be extended and how they can be kept safe. This stage is important as this decreases the cost of ownership.
As we noted in our five-layer space economy framework, the interest within Earth orbit is naturally shifting from satellites and launches to orbital leverage points - the small number of shared infrastructure chokepoints - mobility, servicing, power, communications, assembly, computing - that the rest of the orbital economy has to build around.
The Orbital Stack: nine interconnected layers
Earth-orbit infrastructure can be segmented into nine layers, moving from understanding the orbital environment to eventually leaving it. Some companies are focused on a particular layer, while others operate across the boundaries between multiple layers.
These nine stacks can be clubbed into five core areas – a) Know and move, b) Increase lifespan, c) Safe removal, d) Create and return value, e) House / sustain
Know and move:
See - space situational awareness, tracking and orbital intelligence
Move - propulsion, orbital transfer and in-space logistics
Dock and Interact - rendezvous, proximity operations and docking (RPOD)
Increase lifespan:
Service - inspection, repair, life extension
Refuel - standardised interfaces and propellant transfer
Safe removal:
Sustainability and Deorbit - debris mitigation, active debris removal, controlled deorbiting
Create and return value:
Compute - onboard processing, AI inference, orbital data centres
Manufacture and Research - microgravity manufacturing, pharmaceutical production, space biotech
House and sustain:
House, Sustain and Return - orbital laboratories, habitats, and re-entry/recovery infrastructure
No single company covers this entire stack. The 28 companies below occupy individual positions within it, and the layers overlap heavily - a servicing mission typically needs orbital intelligence, propulsion, autonomous navigation and docking all at once.
The 28 companies:
See: space situational awareness (SSA), tracking and orbital intelligence
Opportunity: As of mid-2026, there are an estimated ~47,000 regularly tracked objects in space and ~16,000 satellites in operation. With an estimated 100,000 satellites in orbit by 2030, the need for collision avoidance, object tracking, debris mitigation, orbital transfer and in-space logistics is expected to increase significantly over time.
1. Digantara:
Digantara is building space-based sensing and software to track and characterise objects in orbit. In its most recent round, Digantara raised $50 million (INR 435 crore) in a Series B funding round, valuing the company at approximately $200 million. The company is also developing MOSAIC, its autonomous system and a distributed LEO surveillance network.
Move: Propulsion, orbital transfer and in-space logistics
Opportunity: Estimated 100,000 satellites in orbit by 2030 from current ~ 16,000 means there will be a growing need for propulsion, orbital transfer and in-space logistics. This also includes VLEO where propulsion technology becomes more interesting. The current number of operational VLEO is a few dozens, which however is projected to ~ 620 operational satellites by 2030, increasing the need for propulsion and orbital transfer.
2. Manastu Space:
Manastu works across green propulsion, debris mitigation and in-orbit servicing, and raised $3 million in August 2025. The company’s core business is green propulsion systems and include products like I-Booster, Vyom 2U, Sharanga and GP-LAM.
3. Bellatrix Aerospace:
Bellatrix is developing propulsion and orbital-transfer technology to move spacecraft and payloads after launch, and closed a $20 million pre-Series B round in March 2026 to scale its propulsion business against demand from satellite constellations. The latest funding round valued Bellatrix at INR 870 crore ($100+ million). Bellatrix also recently signed an MoU with BEL to develop satellite systems for VLEO missions.
4. D-Propulse Aerospace:
D-Propulse is developing advanced propulsion technology that underlies almost every other layer on this list - servicing vehicles need propulsion to rendezvous, debris-removal craft need manoeuvrability, transfer vehicles need efficient thrust. The company sits upstream of several categories rather than owning one outright. The company secured INR 25 crore in seed funding in January 2026.
5. Orbitt Space:
Orbitt is building a satellite platform purpose-designed for Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO), combining an aerodynamic spacecraft body with propulsion built to counter atmospheric drag. VLEO could become a distinct orbital layer for high-resolution Earth observation and communications, but sustaining it requires specialised design most conventional satellites aren't built for. Orbitt Space has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding.
6. Stardour Aerospace:
Stardour is developing Lucas, an orbital transportation vehicle aimed at the movement and management of assets across their operational lives, rather than treating satellites as fixed once deployed - part of an emerging orbital logistics layer connecting spacecraft, payloads and destinations. Stardour Aerospace has raised a total of $204K in external funding over 3 rounds.
7. RaudraNex Space Technologies:
RaudraNex is developing high-efficiency, modular electric propulsion systems for satellite mobility, manoeuvring and in-space operations. The company is developing Magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) and other electric propulsion technologies, with a focus on applications including constellation deployment, station-keeping, collision avoidance, end-of-mission deorbiting and in-space logistics. RaudraNex achieved a proof of concept for its MPD thruster in 2024 and subsequently worked on advanced electric-propulsion technologies through research activities at ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). The company is also developing xenon-free and air-breathing propulsion concepts for VLEO and near-space applications.
8. Agnihotri Aerospace:
Agnihotri Aerospace is developing propulsion and reaction-control technologies for launch vehicles, satellites and other space applications. Its portfolio includes a Variable Thrust Reaction Control System (VT-RCS) designed to regulate propellant flow to micro- and macro-engines, as well as rocket thrusters with controlled manoeuvring capabilities. The company is also developing flight electronics and avionics for navigation, altitude control and mission-critical flight operations.
9. Dream Aerospace:
Dream Aerospace is developing indigenous propulsion alongside orbital mobility and refuelling systems, including its PRISM concept. The company is developing sustainable, non-toxic green propulsion systems and thrusters for small satellites and CubeSats. The Chennai-based company, founded in 2022, has raised roughly INR 13 crore (~$1.5 million) across a INR 3 crore pre-seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures and a INR 10 crore pre-Series A, and is working towards the first in-orbit demonstration of its CUBEHOOD propulsion module.
Dock and Interact: Rendezvous, proximity operations and docking (RPOD)
Opportunity: RPOD is becoming an enabling technology for in-orbit servicing, space-station logistics, orbital assembly and other activities that require spacecraft to approach and interact with one another. With ~800 payloads currently in GEO, ~100,000 satellites expected in orbit by 2030, and growing requirements for refuelling and servicing, RPOD is likely to become an important part of the orbital infrastructure stack.
10. Astradyn Systems:
Astradyn is developing autonomous systems that let spacecraft perceive, navigate and operate around other spacecraft, combining computer vision and autonomy for rendezvous and proximity operations - a capability aimed at inspecting and servicing orbital objects without constant human intervention as the satellite population scales.
11. Aule Space:
Aule is building "jetpack" satellites that perform non-cooperative docking - attaching to legacy satellites never designed for servicing - to extend the operational life of high-value geostationary assets by up to six years. Founded in 2024, the Bengaluru startup raised $2 million in pre-seed funding in January 2026, and has validated its guidance, navigation and control stack to Technology Readiness Level 6 at ISRO's Rendezvous Simulation Laboratory, ahead of a demonstration mission targeted for 2027.
12. ANVI Space / KOIC Space:
ANVI Space is developing orbital servicing and infrastructure technology aimed at spacecraft that can interact with other spacecraft after deployment - positioning itself within the shift from a "launch and leave" satellite model towards a more service-oriented orbital economy.
Service: Inspection, Repair and Life Extension
Opportunity: GEO communications satellites cost $300–500 million to build and launch and are frequently retired for lack of propellant, not hardware failure - the value that can be unlocked by life extension is enormous. Similarly, with the growing number of LEO satellites, inspection, maintenance and repair are also expected to become increasingly relevant.
13. InspeCity:
InspeCity is building in-space servicing capability and raised INR 100 crore (roughly $11–12 million) in August 2026. InspeCity's positioning spans both servicing and controlled deorbiting, reflecting how closely those two categories share underlying rendezvous and capture technology. InspeCity is developing Vehicle for Life-Extension and Deorbiting Activities (VEDA), an autonomous in-space servicing architecture designed to extend satellite lifetimes and progressively enable more sophisticated orbital servicing.
14. iAeroSky India:
iAeroSky is working on satellite robotics and maintenance technology, aimed at the growing requirement for robotic systems that can interact with spacecraft beyond the launch phase - supporting inspection, maintenance and servicing where direct human intervention is not practical. The company was founded in 2023 and is one of the newest in this space.
15. SpaceTug (rebranded from Hyoristic Innovations):
SpaceTug is developing autonomous spacecraft designed to inspect, relocate, service and remove orbital assets - positioning itself as an orbital equivalent of a tug rather than simply another satellite operator, sitting at the intersection of servicing and debris management.
Refuel: Standardised Interfaces and Propellant Transfer
Opportunity: Rather than treating propellant depletion as an automatic end-of-life event, orbital refuelling turns it into a service layer - particularly valuable for the higher-value GEO assets described above. An estimated 370 GEO satellites are expected to reach end-of-life between 2026 and 2041, which works out to roughly 23 GEO satellites per year on average. Increasing life span of even a fraction of these satellites by refuelling would reduce the need for replacement.
16. OrbitAID:
OrbitAID is developing autonomous docking and refuelling technology, including its Standard Interface Docking and Refuelling Port (SIDRP), and has raised around $2.04 million plus government backing for indigenous docking and refuelling capability. The company plans to launch a satellite life extension mission in early 2027 using two 70-kilogram satellites. In March 2026, OrbidAId signed an agreement with Polish chemical propulsion startup Liftero, under which, Liftero will supply green chemical propulsion for OrbitAID’s in-orbit servicing spacecraft.
17. In-Orbion Space Infratech:
In-Orbion is focused on in-orbit refuelling, fuel modules and orbital-maintenance technology, addressing a structural limitation of most satellites today: a finite, non-replenishable onboard propellant supply. The opportunity extends beyond selling fuel towards building a recurring orbital-maintenance ecosystem. The company’s services also extend to supplying liquid oxygen (LOX), liquid hydrogen (LH2), and other propellants.
Sustainability and Deorbit: Debris mitigation, active debris removal, controlled deorbiting
Opportunity: With an estimated 1.2 million-plus debris objects larger than 1 cm already in orbit, and propulsion, manoeuvrability and sustainability increasingly interconnected, orbital sustainability is becoming an important operational requirement. Debris mitigation, active removal and controlled deorbiting are expected to become increasingly relevant as orbital activity increases.
18. Cosmoserve Space:
Cosmoserve is developing autonomous robotic spacecraft for active debris removal, and raised $3.17 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round in September 2025 - among the largest concept-stage raises in Indian spacetech. Cosmoserve's "Reviver" spacecraft uses Venus flytrap-inspired soft robotic arms to capture debris without needing a magnetic plate or hard docking point.
19. Taramandal Technologies:
Taramandal is developing reusable orbital-vehicle concepts alongside sustainable-operations technology spanning in-space manufacturing, anti-collision systems and self-deorbiting capability - designing orbital assets around their full lifecycle rather than treating disposal as an afterthought.
Compute: Onboard processing, AI inference, orbital data centres
Opportunity: A small satellite (like CubeSats) or high-resolution optical and radar units generate several GB to over 100 GB of raw data daily. Collectively, the global fleet of active EO satellites produces over 100 terabytes (TB) of data daily, and this number is expected to grow exponentially into hundreds of petabytes daily – making the case for orbital AI and data centre a must, nit just to handle data, but also to reduce bottleneck.
20. TakeMe2Space:
TakeMe2Space is one of the clearest examples in this space. The company is building orbital computing infrastructure, including a planned six-satellite constellation with onboard compute, and raised $5 million in seed funding in January 2026. Its subsidiary TM2SPACE Technologies was separately selected by IN-SPACe's Technology Adoption Fund to develop StarSense Lite and StarSense Pro, indigenous AI-powered star trackers for CubeSats and larger satellites.
21. SkyServe (operated by Hyspace Technologies):
SkyServe focuses on edge computing and AI for satellite and airborne platforms, and has demonstrated its STORM edge-computing technology in orbit - an alternative model to dedicated orbital data centres: distributed intelligence embedded within existing satellite missions.
22. Agnikul Cosmos:
Agnikul, best known for launch-vehicle technology, is extending into orbital infrastructure through a partnership with NeevCloud on an orbital AI / data-centre concept built on Agnikul's space platform - a signal that launch companies may increasingly become platform providers for entirely new orbital services. Agnikul has raised a total of approximately $75.5 million across multiple funding rounds, valuing the company at over $500 million.
Manufacture and Research: Microgravity manufacturing, pharmaceutical production, space biotech
Opportunity: Global in-space manufacturing market, projected to reach $3.51 billion by 2030. More than 4,000 investigations have been conducted aboard the ISS, including 500+ protein-crystal-growth experiments. Applications span pharmaceuticals, advanced materials, optical fibres, semiconductors, tissue engineering and biomanufacturing.
23. Serendipity Space:
Serendipity is building platforms for manufacturing in microgravity, starting with pharmaceutical applications, and has raised roughly $591,000 across two rounds. It successfully operated and recovered its orbital-class satellite prototype in August 2026.
24. BlueWay Horizon:
BlueWay is developing India's first private free-flying re-entry capsules for microgravity research, with R&D based at IIT Mandi. Its flagship HORIZON-I capsule targets protein crystallisation, cell growth, materials synthesis and combustion studies for pharmaceutical and research customers - relevant given India ranks third globally in pharmaceutical production by volume.
25. Resolute Lab India:
Resolute Lab is focused on space biotechnology, providing researchers and life-science companies access to microgravity for biological experiments without requiring them to build their own spacecraft - a shared-infrastructure model for commercial life-science research.
26. Inbound Aerospace:
Inbound Aerospace is developing autonomous, reusable spacecraft for long-duration microgravity research in LEO, using a lifting-body spaceplane concept for controlled re-entry and recovery - aimed at researchers who need repeatable microgravity access without committing to permanent orbital infrastructure of their own. In September 2026, Inbound Aerospace signed an MoU with Australia-based space infrastructure company Space Angel Group, to collaborate on reusable spacecraft recovery and mission-support capabilities. Under the MoU, Inbound will use Space Angel’s launch infrastructure, test-range, recovery infrastructure to test and demonstrate its spacecraft and re-entry capabilities.
House, Sustain and Return: Orbital laboratories, habitats, and re-entry / recovery infrastructure
Opportunity: The space habitation opportunity is expanding as human activity moves beyond a single orbital outpost towards multiple commercial and national destinations. The ISS has supported 25 years of continuous human presence, with 290+ people from 26 countries visiting and 4,000+ experiments conducted. As the ISS retires around 2030, demand for alternative orbital infrastructure is expected to increase. An additional opportunity lies in Space Race 2.0 and cislunar activities, where future infrastructure could support operations beyond Earth.
27. Akashalabdhi:
Akashalabdhi, incubated at IISc and IIT Roorkee, is developing ANTARIKSHAB, an expandable orbital habitat for orbital logistics, microgravity experiments and defence applications, and raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding in September 2025. The company says it is in discussions with SpaceX towards a 2027 launch target for its prototype module.
28. AnduraX:
AnduraX is developing reusable spaceplane technology aimed at making return from orbit routine, positioned around microgravity experiments, cargo and future reusable operations with an emphasis on controlled re-entry and recovery - the logistics link that connects orbital manufacturing back to Earth-based commercialisation.
Note on overlapping capabilities: Several companies have a presence across multiple areas. For example, BlueWay Horizon and Inbound Aerospace, profiled above, also have significant roles in re-entry and recovery infrastructure.
Where the opportunity is likely to emerge first
Not every layer will develop at the same pace. Some segments already have clear demand signals: the scale of tracked objects and satellites supports SSA; growing launch cadence supports orbital mobility; propellant limitations create a direct rationale for servicing and refuelling; rising debris volumes create demand for sustainability services; ever growing data and bottleneck means orbital AI is a growing need.
Others segments like - in-space manufacturing, commercial habitats, and pharmaceutical production in microgravity - remain nascent, requiring further technical validation and customer development before large-scale commercial markets emerge.
The more useful question for investors and operators is not which category has the largest headline market size. It is which orbital bottlenecks are becoming unavoidable - and which of the 28 companies above is closest to solving one of them at commercial scale.
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Frequently asked questions
How many space-tech startups does India have, and how many work on Earth-orbit infrastructure?
India has roughly 440 registered space-tech startups. At least 28 of these with activities across the Earth-orbit infrastructure layer - tracking, mobility, docking, servicing, refuelling, debris removal, computing, manufacturing, habitats and re-entry.
What is Earth-orbit infrastructure?
Earth-orbit infrastructure covers the technologies and services that operate on spacecraft after launch - space situational awareness, in-space mobility, rendezvous and docking, servicing, refuelling, debris removal, onboard computing, in-space manufacturing, orbital habitats, and re-entry / recovery systems.
Which Indian companies are leading in space situational awareness (SSA)?
Digantara is the most prominent India-based SSA company, having raised a $12 million Series A to expand space-based tracking and orbital-intelligence capability. It further raised $50 million (INR 435 crore) in a Series B funding round, valuing the company at approximately $200 million.
Which Indian companies are working on in-orbit refuelling?
OrbitAID, Aule Space, Dream Aerospace and In-Orbion Space Infratech are some of the companies working in the in-orbit refuelling segment. Each of these companies are developing components of an in-orbit refuelling and servicing stack, spanning docking interfaces, propellant transfer, and satellite life-extension technology.
Is active debris removal a commercial market yet in India?
Not fully - Cosmoserve Space and Taramandal Technologies are two key companies developing debris-removal or mitigation technology, but the sector remains pre-commercial, with most companies still at pre-seed or demonstration stage. Cosmoserve, for example, is targeting its first in-space demonstration in Q4 2026.
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