There is no single definitive answer to this question, as there is no central official repository that keeps an updated tally of India-based space startups. The best way to estimate the number is to examine databases of venture capital investments, startup accelerators, awards, and other sources of funding.
The number of space startups in India is growing rapidly. A Deloitte report on Indian space startups estimated that between 2013 and 2019, the number of space startups in India grew from around 10 to over 250.
In 2020, there were 420 Indian space-related startups in total, according to the Startup India portal, an official repository of India-based startups. The portal also mapped the geographical distribution of these startups across India and found that the most popular locations for space startups are in India’s metropolitan cities like Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai.
A few notable space startups in India are Agnikul, Astrome, Bellatrix Aerospace, Dhruva Space, Juganu and Pixxel. Agnikul is a rocket engineering company that designs and develops low-cost launch vehicles. Astrome is a satellite communications provider focusing on providing high-speed internet access to unconnected locations in India. Bellatrix Aerospace is a research and development organization that works on advanced aerospace technologies such as satellite navigation, guidance and control systems, and robotics. Dhruva Space is a space analytics and consultancy startup aimed at enabling organizations to make better decisions through space-based insights. Juganu is a satellite imaging company that provides satellite-based analysis and information related to urban planning and ecosystem monitoring. Pixxel is a nanosatellite imaging startup that provides Earth observation data from space.
Ultimately, the number of space startups in India is constantly growing and evolving, so it is difficult to pin down the exact number of them. But the list of notable space startups in India is growing rapidly, which is indicative of the country's growing interest in the space domain.
