Archive · 20 Jul 2026
Ex-Army Commander Urges MoD to Partner with Skyroot
A retired Army Commander named Lt Gen Raj Shukla wants the Indian government to give ₹1,000 crore to a private space company called Skyroot Aerospace.
This money would help the company build rockets for the military.
The military wants to use these rockets to watch over Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and gather information.
Skyroot recently launched a rocket called Vikram-1, which was India's first private rocket to successfully put things into space.
Other retired military officers also support this idea.
The rocket can carry 350 kg of payload and placed two satellites into orbit.
The Indian government started allowing private companies to work in space in 2020.
Lt Gen Raj Shukla (Retd) urges MoD to allocate ₹1,000 crore to Skyroot Aerospace for military space applications.
Skyroot's Vikram-1 rocket successfully launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on July 18, 2026.
Vikram-1 can carry 350 kg of payload into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Retired military officers support integrating private space capabilities into India's defence strategy.
The launch placed two satellites, SCOPE and Grahaa, into orbit along with additional payloads.
- Who
- Lt Gen Raj Shukla (Retd), retired Army Commander
- What
- Urging MoD to partner with Skyroot Aerospace for military space applications
- When
- July 19, 2026
- Where
- India
- Why
- To strengthen India's military presence in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) through persistent surveillance and offensive ISR capabilities
- Rocket Name
- Vikram-1
- Launch Date
- July 18, 2026
- Launch Site
- Satish Dhawan Space Centre
- Payload Capacity
- 350 kg to LEO
- Funding Proposal
- ₹1,000 crore from MoD budget
- Military Application
- Persistent Surveillance and Offensive ISR
- Satellites Launched
- SCOPE and Grahaa