Astrobase plans to invest ₹500 crore to build a rocket engine manufacturing facility at Adinarayana Hosahalli Industrial Area in Karnataka, a project the state government says will create more than 1,250 jobs and produce up to 40 rocket engines a year.
Karnataka Industries Minister MB Patil said the proposed facility would be spread across 10 acres. The space-tech company is developing medium-lift launch vehicles, reusable launch systems and indigenous rocket propulsion technologies, according to the state government’s account of the investment discussions.
Astrobase aims to scale its annual payload delivery capacity to 100 tonnes by 2032 and 1,000 tonnes by 2040. Patil described the proposed investment as a positive development in the context of growing global demand for launch vehicles. He also said the company is led by professionals with extensive experience in India’s space programme, including former scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation.
The proposed plant would add a specialised manufacturing activity to Karnataka’s industrial base, with the scale of employment linked to production, engineering and related operations. The announcement does not provide details on the project’s construction schedule, regulatory approvals, land allotment process or the expected date for commercial production.
The investment discussions involved Astrobase Co-Founder Neeraj Khandelwal, Chief Financial Officer Nishant Jain and Head of Business and Strategy Puneet Balasubramanian. The company’s plans come as India’s space sector expands beyond government-led launch and satellite activity, although the state announcement did not specify the facility’s identified customers or the value of any confirmed contracts.
Separately, Bayer plans to invest ₹200 crore to establish a Global Capability Centre in Bengaluru. The centre is expected to create 220 jobs, taking the combined announced employment potential from the two investments to more than 1,470 positions.
Patil said Bayer is keen to hold the groundbreaking ceremony before the Global Investors Meet scheduled for April 2027 and begin operations at the earliest. Bayer already operates a service and innovation hub in Bengaluru and a crop research centre in Chamarajanagar. The Netherlands-based company has been operating in India for 125 years and employs around 11,000 people, according to the minister.
Bayer’s Indian operations include seven manufacturing plants and three Global Engineering Centres, Patil said. He recalled meeting the company’s leadership in Amsterdam during a recent visit aimed at attracting investment to Karnataka.
The next formal milestones for the Astrobase facility, including approvals, construction and commissioning, were not specified in the announcement. For Bayer, the stated target is to complete the groundbreaking ceremony before the April 2027 Global Investors Meet.
