Synopsis
Skyroot Aerospace, India's first private rocket startup, has secured $60 million in funding led by American investor Ram Shriram. This investment values the Hyderabad-based company at one billion dollars, making it India's first space tech unicorn. The capital will accelerate launch vehicle development, including the upcoming Vikram-1 orbital launch.Shriram is an existing board member of Google's parent company Alphabet. His venture Sherpalo Ventures had led a previous $4.5 million Series B round of Skyroot in January 2022.
Other existing investors including Temasek, GIC of Singapore and other family offices and ultra high networth individuals will also be participating in this round proportionately, the people mentioned above added.
The current round would also imply that the valuations have doubled in 2.5 years.
ET in it's February 18 edition was the first to report that the company has initiated fresh capital raise and mandated Kotak Mahindra to help find investors.
Emails to Skyroot, Temasek, and GIC did not elicit a response.
Skyroot has raised over $100 million in total funding as of early 2026, with major investments from Temasek, GIC, and a recent Rs 100 crore ($10.75 million) debt round from BlackRock.
They raised $27.5 million (Rs 225 crore) in a pre-Series C round led by Temasek in October 2023, following a $51 million Series B in 2022.
The capital will be used to to accelerate launch vehicle development and build on the success of their Vikram-S rocket, the first private launch in India. It will be used to develop the Vikram-I orbital launch vehicle, increase launch frequency, infrastructure capacity, expand the team and enhance technological capabilities.
Skyroot competes with global players like SpaceX and Rocket Lab, aiming to dominate the small satellite launch market.
In an interview with ET on April 29, Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and chief executive of Skyroot Aerospace, had said the company is targeting the launch of Vikram-1 in a few weeks, as the startup completes final integration and testing ahead of liftoff from Sriharikota.
The company is set to announce a launch window soon.
“We have completed the most critical integrated testing of the rocket and are now sending hardware to Sriharikota in phases,” Chandana had told ET.
The launch window is expected to span roughly a month from its opening date in June, with the final schedule dependent on regulatory approvals and vehicle readiness. The mission will last about 15 minutes, during which the rocket is expected to place payloads into low-Earth orbit at an altitude exceeding 400 km.
Unlike its predecessor Vikram-S, a suborbital mission launched in 2022, Vikram-1 represents a full-fledged orbital vehicle, a key capability for commercial satellite launches.
The rocket will carry a mix of payloads, including Earth observation satellites and in-orbit experimental modules, from both domestic and international customers.
