The 5th edition of the India Space Congress (ISC) 2026 was held in New Delhi, bringing together over 1,000 delegates from more than 25 countries. During the three-day event, the Satcom Industry Association (SIA)-India launched the country’s first digital repository of space sector capabilities, the Indian Space Industry E-Catalogue, along with two strategic reports on on-orbit servicing and space-based compute infrastructure.
What Is the Indian Space Industry E-Catalogue?
The Indian Space Industry E-Catalogue is an interactive digital platform designed to map and showcase the capabilities of India’s rapidly growing space sector. Developed by SIA-India, a non-profit association representing the country’s space and satellite communications industry, the platform acts as a single, trusted source for discovering verified companies, their technologies, and their services across the entire space value chain.
SIA-India was established in 2021 and is headquartered in New Delhi. The association counts satellite operators, manufacturers, startups, academic institutions, and law firms among its members, and works closely with government bodies such as ISRO, IN-SPACe, and the Ministry of Defence.
The E-Catalogue currently lists more than 200 verified space and defence companies across 20 industry domains and 120 specialised sub-domains. It covers upstream, midstream, and downstream activities, ranging from satellite design and launch services to ground systems and data analytics. The platform was built with technology support from Hughes Systique and is accessible at indspacehub.com.
Key Features of the Platform
The E-Catalogue offers an interactive, searchable database that allows users to filter companies by specialisation, technology capability, size, and year of incorporation. This makes it easier for government agencies, defence departments, investors, and international partners to identify potential collaborators, suppliers, and technology providers.
For startups and MSMEs, the platform provides visibility among key stakeholders, including ISRO, IN-SPACe, and the Ministry of Defence. For global entities, it serves as a gateway to evaluate partnership and joint venture opportunities in India’s space market. The platform also supports data-driven policy analysis by helping regulators identify sectoral gaps and strengths.
Context: The India Space Congress 2026
The 5th ISC was organised by SIA-India from 15 to 17 June 2026 at Le Meridien, New Delhi, under the theme “Reimagining Space. Reinventing Collaboration. Realising the Next Era of Space”. The event featured more than 250 speakers across 40 sessions, with participation from ISRO, IN-SPACe, DRDO, NSIL, and global space agencies. The congress has become India’s premier annual space industry platform since its inception in 2022.
Two Strategic Reports on Future Space Capabilities
Alongside the E-Catalogue, SIA-India released two reports that outline India’s potential in emerging areas of the global space economy. Both were developed in collaboration with Indian space technology startups.
Building the On-Orbit Servicing and Refuelling Ecosystem
The report titled “Building India’s On-Orbit Servicing and Refuelling Ecosystem: Policy, Partnerships, and Pathways Forward” was developed with OrbitAID Aerospace, a Chennai and Bangalore-based startup founded by Sakthikumar Ramachandran.
On-orbit servicing refers to the ability to repair, refuel, and maintain satellites while they are in space, rather than replacing them with new ones. This capability can extend the operational life of satellites, reduce the cost of space missions, and cut down orbital debris.
OrbitAID has developed the Standard Interface for Docking and Refuelling Port (SIDRP), a patented technology that enables propellant, power, and data transfer between spacecraft. In January 2026, the company launched AayulSAT, India’s first on-orbit refuelling mission, aboard ISRO’s PSLV-C62. With this, India became the fourth country in the world, after the United States, Russia, and China, to demonstrate in-orbit refuelling capability.
The report examines the policy adjustments, international partnerships, and technology pathways needed for India to build a full-fledged on-orbit servicing economy. This aligns with India’s Debris-Free Space Mission 2030, which aims to ensure sustainable use of outer space.
India’s Opportunity in Space-Based Compute Infrastructure
The second report, “India’s Strategic Opportunity in Space-Based Compute Infrastructure”, was developed in partnership with TakeMe2Space, a Hyderabad-based space tech startup founded by Ronak Kumar Samantray.
Space-based compute involves placing data processing capabilities directly on satellites in orbit, rather than relying entirely on ground-based data centres. This allows for real-time processing of Earth observation data, reduced transmission costs, and faster decision-making for applications such as agriculture monitoring, disaster response, and defence surveillance.
TakeMe2Space operates OrbitLab, described as India’s first AI laboratory in space, which runs on its MOI-1 satellite. The satellite is equipped with a 117 TOPS GPU, 64 GB RAM, and a multi-spectral optical imager, allowing customers to upload and run AI models directly in orbit. The company raised $5 million in seed funding in January 2026, led by Chiratae Ventures, and has also received an IN-SPACe grant to support its work.
The report explores how India can build sovereign orbital data centre infrastructure, which is increasingly being seen as a strategic asset for data security and resilience. TakeMe2Space has plans to scale from its current single-satellite capability to a constellation of four satellites by 2027, delivering 5 kilowatts of compute power in orbit.
The Bigger Picture: India’s Expanding Space Ecosystem
These launches come at a time when India’s space sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation. The government’s space sector reforms of 2020 opened the door for private companies to participate in end-to-end space activities. The Indian Space Policy 2023 formalised this framework, and the establishment of IN-SPACe as a single-window regulatory body provided a clear authorisation pathway for non-government entities.
The results have been significant. India now has more than 300 private space startups, up from just a handful in 2020. The government liberalised FDI norms in 2024, allowing up to 74% automatic foreign investment in satellite manufacturing and operation, and up to 49% in launch vehicles. India currently accounts for about 2% of the global space economy, estimated at USD 570 billion in 2023. The government has set a target of capturing 8% of the projected USD 1.8 trillion global space market by 2035.
The Indian Space Industry E-Catalogue directly addresses a critical gap in this fast-growing ecosystem. With hundreds of new entrants across manufacturing, launch services, ground systems, and data analytics, the ability to discover verified partners quickly has become essential. By bringing all verified capabilities onto a single searchable platform, the E-Catalogue helps match supply with demand across the space value chain, which is also crucial for sectors such as defence procurement and global partnerships.
The two reports highlight frontier areas where Indian startups are already building world-class capabilities. On-orbit servicing addresses the growing problem of orbital congestion, while space-based compute taps into the rising demand for real-time data processing at the edge.
Key Takeaways
- The Indian Space Industry E-Catalogue is India’s first digital repository of space sector capabilities, launched at the 5th India Space Congress (ISC) 2026 in New Delhi.
- The platform, developed by SIA-India, lists over 200 verified companies across 20 domains and 120 sub-domains.
- SIA-India was established in 2021, is headquartered in New Delhi, and represents the interests of India’s space and satellite communications industry.
- OrbitAID Aerospace launched AayulSAT, India’s first on-orbit refuelling mission, aboard PSLV-C62 in January 2026, making India the fourth country to demonstrate this capability.
- TakeMe2Space, a Hyderabad-based startup, is building India’s first orbital data centre infrastructure through its OrbitLab platform on the MOI-1 satellite.
- India’s space sector reforms, including the Indian Space Policy 2023 and FDI liberalisation in 2024, have spurred the growth of over 300 private space startups.
