India’s First Industry-Operated Earth Observation Constellation Under PPP Framework

Pixxel-led Consortium signs an agreement with IN-SPACe to design, build, and operate India’s first national Earth Observation (EO) constellation under a Public–Private Partnership framework. The project comprises 12 satellites with multiple imaging modes and involves ₹1,200 crore investment over 5 years, marking a shift to industry-operated national EO infrastructure.

India’s First Industry-Operated National Earth Observation (EO) Constellation :

Dimension	Key Details
Execution	Provides for execution under a Public–Private Partnership (PPP) framework.
Consortium composition	Pixxel, Piersight Space, Satsure Analytics India, and Dhruva Space.
IN-SPACe	Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) is India’s nodal agency that authorises, regulates, and promotes private sector participation in space activities.
Project scope	Provides for a complete end-to-end Earth Observation ecosystem, from satellite deployment to value-added geospatial analytics.
Constellation size	12 satellites.
Imaging coverage	Very high-resolution optical, multispectral, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and hyperspectral imaging.
Project scale	₹1,200 crore investment over a 5-year period.
Strategic shift	Transition from government-built to industry-operated national EO infrastructure.
Earth Observation satellites	Satellites that monitor and collect data about Earth’s surface, oceans, and atmosphere using optical, multispectral, hyperspectral, and radar sensors.
Applications	Agriculture, disaster management, climate change studies, urban planning, water resource management, and national security.
Strategic value	Provides for early warning systems, evidence-based policymaking, and self-reliance in geospatial data.
India’s major EO satellites	HySIS, Cartosat-3, RISAT-2B, and EOS-07.