Masterstroke by Modi government, as ISRO earns Rs. 1243 Crore, partners with NASA for Space Programs
By R. Anil Kumar
Bengaluru. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has made a remarkable impact on the global space industry.
Whether it’s launching satellites or making new space discoveries, ISRO has become the go-to agency for many countries.
Even the United States has used ISRO’s rockets to send several of its satellites into space. This has significantly boosted India’s revenue, bringing in billions of rupees.
According to Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State for Science and Technology, ISRO has earned USD 439 Million (over Rs. 1,243 crore) in revenue from launching foreign satellites over the past 10 years. While speaking in the Lok Sabha, he shared that between January 2015 and December 2024, ISRO successfully launched 393 foreign satellites and 3 Indian customer satellites using its PSLV, LVM3, and SSLV rockets on a commercial basis.
Out of the 393 foreign satellites launched by ISRO, 232 belong to the United States, making it the largest contributor. Other countries include the United Kingdom with 83 satellites, Singapore with 19, Canada with 8, South Korea with 5, Luxembourg and Italy with 4 each, and Germany and Belgium with 3 each.
Additionally, France, Finland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Japan, Israel, and Spain each have 2 satellites launched by ISRO. Meanwhile, Australia, the UAE, and Austria have sent 1 satellite each through ISRO’s rockets.
In Parliament, Jitendra Singh revealed that ISRO is collaborating with 61 countries and five international organizations on space projects. The partnerships cover areas such as satellite remote sensing, satellite navigation, satellite communication, space science, planetary exploration, and capacity building.
ISRO has also partnered with NASA for a joint satellite mission called NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar), which is currently in its advanced stages. Additionally, ISRO is working with France’s CNES (French National Space Agency) on a joint satellite mission named TRISHNA (Thermal Infrared Imaging Satellite for High-Resolution Natural Resource Assessment), which is still in the early stages.
Moreover, ISRO and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) have conducted a practical study for a Lunar Polar Exploration Mission.
Meanwhile, Singh announced that the government has increased funding for India’s human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, to Rs.. 20,193 Crore. The program plans to carry out two crewed spaceflights by 2028. In total, the
ISRO earns a massive Rs. 1243 Crore
The NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) made an impressive 43 per cent growth from Rs. 2,116.12 crore in FY24 to Rs. 1,242.12 crore in profit before tax (PBT) till date.
In a tremendous achievement for the Indian space sector, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has reported a significant amount of profits from the international and Indian customer satellites.
In the latest space development, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology and Department of Space informed the Parliament about the profits earned by NSIL.
It was reported that NSIL has reported Rs. 3,026.09 crore in revenue in FY25 to date. Here are the details to know about the recent ISRO achievement.
The NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), which has launched 135 international customer satellites and three Indian satellites on commercial basis (as of now), made an impressive 43 per cent growth from Rs. 2,116.12 crore in FY24 as per a report.
As per the Minister, NSIL made Rs. 1,242.12 crore in profit before tax (PBT) till date in the FY 25.
It should be noted that NSIL enables Indian industries to take up high-technology space-related activities, leading to more and more growth. In the recent development, the ISRO arm has signed a contract with HAL for end-to-end manufacturing of 5 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV). Adding to the achievements, the first fully Indian industry-manufactured PSLV would also be be launching during the second half of this year, the report said.
Expansion plans of ISRO’s NSIL
The minister added in the note to the Parliament that NSIL is planning to expand its commercial space business through public-private partnerships (PPPs) model as well. To make the plans successful, the NSIL is planning to use ISRO’s heavy lift launcher LVM3, due to its large commercial potential in the global launch service market under a PPP partnership approach.
