India’s rapidly growing private space sector is looking to Singapore not just as a technological partner, but also as a vital source of investment, collaboration, and market access.
The message was clear during a high-profile investor interaction held on Feb 3 at the Shangri-La Hotel, organised by the Indian High Commission and TiE Singapore, where about 30 Singapore-based investors engaged with leading Indian space startups.
The event, held on the sidelines of the Singapore Space Summit 2026, showcased the expanding ambitions of Indian companies and the strengthening of India –Singapore space ties.
Dr Pawan Goenka, chairman of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), told investors that the Indian space sector is poised to capture about 10 per cent of the projected US$1.8 trillion global space economy by 2035. “We are seeing strong investor interest from Singapore, including from leading institutions like Temasek and GIC,” said Dr Goenka.
Startups like Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos, which were part of the Indian delegation, are already attracting serious capital. Skyroot, which aims to conduct India’s first private orbital launch with its Vikram-1 rocket, has raised over US$95 million and counts Temasek and GIC among its key backers.
“There are active discussions for Singapore to become a customer as well,” said an industry source, referring to talks around launching Singaporean satellites on Indian rockets.
India has a long history of launching Singapore-made satellites through ISRO, but the current wave of private-sector liberalisation – since 2020 – has opened doors for direct international collaboration with Indian startups, many of which are now being supported by both ISRO and IN-SPACe.
India was a Partner Country at the inaugural Singapore Space Summit 2026, held from Feb 2 to 3 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre. The India Pavilion, set up by IN-SPACe, featured nine Indian companies, including Cosmoserve Space, Azista Industries, XDLinx Space Labs, Hical, HAL, and General Datum.
Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science and Technology, Tan See Leng, visited the pavilion and discussed collaboration opportunities with Dr Goenka.
“Working with Singapore will be beneficial for India too,” Dr Goenka said, noting India’s ambition to be the region’s leading space ecosystem.
The India–Singapore space partnership was significantly boosted during Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s visit to India in September 2025, when IN-SPACe and Singapore’s Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn) signed an MoU on space cooperation. The agreement covers joint work on policy, industry promotion, and research and development.
“These areas align with Singapore’s interests in applying space technologies across key sectors like aviation, maritime, info-communications and sustainability,” an OSTIn spokesperson said.
India’s proven track record in low-cost, high-efficiency space missions – such as the Chandrayaan-3 Moon landing and Mars Orbiter Mission – continues to attract global interest. The country now has over 350 private space companies, up from just a few dozen in 2020, with government support through a Rs1,000 crore ($140 million) venture capital fund.
