India plans to have four functional space launch pads by 2029, with a dedicated Small Satellite Launch Vehicle complex being developed across 2,000 acres at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin district, ISRO chairman V. Narayanan said at a university graduation ceremony on Saturday.
The proposed facility will include launch pads, integration buildings, rail-track systems and telemetry, tracking and command infrastructure, according to details reported by Deccan Chronicle. The complex is intended to support the growing demand for satellite launches and commercial space operations, particularly through the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle programme.
Narayanan said the expansion would be supported by greater collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation and private companies. He clarified that ISRO would not be privatised, but would work with startups and private enterprises through technology transfers and partnerships.
The chairman said the arrangement would help expand commercial space activity, create thousands of high-technology jobs and contribute to economic growth. The statement places the Kulasekarapattinam project within a broader shift in India’s space operations, in which public infrastructure and private-sector participation are being developed together.
Narayanan did not provide details about the locations or development status of the other three launch pads planned to be functional by 2029. The announcement therefore establishes the national target and identifies Kulasekarapattinam as a key component, but leaves the wider launch-pad expansion plan unspecified.
The Tamil Nadu facility will require more than launch infrastructure alone. Its planned integration buildings, rail-track systems and tracking and command facilities indicate a complex that will connect vehicle preparation, movement, launch operations and mission monitoring within one operational system. The supplied report did not provide a construction schedule, project cost, contracting structure or commissioning date for the facility.
Narayanan also outlined the next stages of India’s human spaceflight programme. ISRO plans to conduct the first uncrewed Gaganyaan test within two months, followed by two additional uncrewed missions before astronauts are sent into space. The tests will assess environmental control systems, safety systems, crew escape mechanisms and spacecraft interiors under varying pressure, temperature and humidity conditions.
According to the chairman, ISRO has completed around 8,000 ground-based experiments for Gaganyaan, while four astronaut-designates are undergoing specialised training. These missions will precede the planned crewed phase of the programme, although no astronaut launch date was provided in the reported remarks.
Narayanan also announced plans for Chandrayaan-5, a joint lunar mission with Japan’s space agency. The mission is expected to feature a 350-kilogram rover designed to conduct experiments on the Moon’s surface for 100 days.
For Tamil Nadu, the Kulasekarapattinam project represents the creation of a specialised space infrastructure cluster rather than a single launch facility. Its proposed land area and supporting systems indicate the scale of the planned development, while the promised technology transfers and private-sector partnerships connect the project to industrial and employment objectives. The next publicly stated milestones are the development of the SSLV complex and the first uncrewed Gaganyaan test planned within two months.
