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The technology transfer will be completed in 24 months during which ISRO will train HAL in SSLV technology and support its first two missions.
The move is aimed at democratising the SSLV market, and boost the country’s capacity to meet increasing domestic and global satellite launch demands.
India’s space sector crossed a major milestone on Wednesday with the 100th technology transfer agreement. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and its nodal agencies for private collaborations IN-SPACe and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) signed the agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for production of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).
The agreement was facilitated by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) – which was especially set up by the government to boost the private space economy in the country. The move is aimed at democratising the SSLV market, and boost the country’s capacity to meet increasing domestic and global satellite launch demands.
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ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space Dr V Narayanan said the agreement would define the next phase of deep-tech collaboration in space in India. “With India’s liberalisation of the commercial space sector, opportunities are certainly growing. This agreement is part of that movement, where ISRO will guide the HAL team on the preparedness-to-flight tangent of SSLV,” he said.
Bengaluru-based HAL had secured a landmark contract on June 20th to build, launch and market India’s indigenous Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) in a competitive bidding process managed by IN-SPACe. Designed by ISRO, the compact launcher is optimised to carry payloads of up to 500 kgs – especially mini, micro and nano-satellites – into 400-500 kms low earth orbit. ISRO has already completed three developmental flights for SSLV. These rockets are low-cost, require minimal infrastructure and offer rapid turnaround time – making them ideal for on-demand launches from global customers.
The technology transfer process is set to be completed within 24 months of signing the agreement. During this period, ISRO will train and support HAL in mastering the SSLV technology from commercial aspects to full integration, leading to the accomplishment of two missions. Dr Pawan Kumar Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, called it the most comprehensive and complex technology transfer ever undertaken by ISRO which will establish India as a global hub for affordable and reliable launch services. “With this transfer, HAL will now independently take up the realization of SSLV and cater to both domestic and international markets,” he added.
It also marks the first instance of a space agency transferring complete launch vehicle technology to a company. Notably, HAL is already a key partner of ISRO in the indigenous production of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV), as well as manufacturing parts of satellites. “We are honoured to be in this league to scale India’s next big frontiers with the SSLV technology, by partnering with ISRO, NSIL and IN-SPACe to operationalise it. HAL will apply its engineering and manufacturing strength to build SSLVs, train the required workforce and progress towards building a self-reliant ecosystem, so India can offer regular, cost-competitive small-satellite launches to domestic and global customers,” said Dr DK Sunil, CMD, HAL.
In the long-term, HAL will aim to manufacture at least 6-12 rockets every year from 2027, beginning with the production of two prototypes in the next two years.
About the Author
Srishti Choudhary, Senior Assistant Editor at CNN-News18 specializes in science, environment, and climate change reporting. With over a decade of extensive field experience, she has brought incisive ground repo…Read More
Srishti Choudhary, Senior Assistant Editor at CNN-News18 specializes in science, environment, and climate change reporting. With over a decade of extensive field experience, she has brought incisive ground repo… Read More
September 10, 2025, 15:08 IST
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