ISRO To Transfer Small Satellite Launch Vehicle Technology To HAL Under Rs 511 Crore Deal—All About It

In a major push towards commercialising India’s space capabilities, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has won the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) bid to manufacture Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLVs), the Indian Express reported.

The technology transfer is set to take place over the next two years, during which HAL will have to build two SSLVs end-to-end, following the same process ISRO used in the vehicle’s three development flights.

The SSLV, capable of launching payloads of up to 500 kg into low-Earth orbit, is designed for quick assembly and cost-effective operations, and is ideal for deploying small and nano satellites. 

These launches were previously carried out mostly by foreign companies, but the move is expected to bolster India’s share in the global satellite launch market.

From August 2027, HAL will be free to produce and operate SSLV launches independently.

It will also be permitted to make changes to the vehicle’s design and choose its own suppliers.

However, as per government norms, 51 per cent ownership must remain with an Indian company.

HAL won the contract with a Rs 511 crore bid, outcompeting Adani group-backed Alpha Design Technologies and state-run Bharat Dynamics Ltd in a two-phase evaluation led by a committee headed by former principal scientific adviser K Vijayraghavan.

“This is different from the PSLV model, where we were the buyers. Here, the company will manufacture, launch, and look for its own market,” Radhakrishnan Durairaj, CMD of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

“There is a lot of potential considering that world over, satellites are being miniaturised,” He added.

NSIL plans 15 SSLV launches to retain Indian market share and attract global demand, with the first scheduled in late 2026.

Two additional SSLV flights for private Indian payloads are planned earlier, in October this year and February 2026.

“We want India to become the global hub for small satellite launches,” Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

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