India plans to have four functional space launch pads by 2029, ISRO chairman V. Narayanan said, as the country prepares to expand commercial satellite operations, develop a new spaceport in Tamil Nadu and increase collaboration with private companies.
Narayanan made the announcement while speaking at a private university’s graduation ceremony on Saturday. He said a dedicated Small Satellite Launch Vehicle complex would be developed across 2,000 acres at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin district to meet growing global demand for satellite launches.
The proposed facility will include launch pads, integration buildings, rail-track systems and telemetry, tracking and command infrastructure. The chairman did not provide details about the locations or timelines of the other three launch pads planned to be functional by 2029.
The Kulasekarapattinam project will add to the infrastructure required for India’s expanding space programme. Its planned systems are intended to support the assembly, movement, monitoring and control of launch vehicles and spacecraft, linking the launch site with the wider operational network needed for satellite missions.
Narayanan said ISRO would increasingly work with private companies to meet demand for satellite launches and commercial space operations. He clarified that ISRO would not be privatised, but would support startups and private enterprises through technology transfers.
According to his statement, the public-sector agency’s engagement with private industry is expected to help create thousands of high-technology jobs and contribute to economic growth. The announcement places the proposed Tamil Nadu spaceport within a broader shift towards a larger commercial role for Indian space infrastructure, although the statement did not provide an investment estimate, construction schedule or list of participating companies.
The chairman also provided an update on the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme. ISRO plans to conduct its first uncrewed test within two months, followed by two additional uncrewed missions before sending astronauts into space. The tests will assess environmental control systems, safety systems, crew escape mechanisms and spacecraft interiors under varying pressure, temperature and humidity conditions.
Narayanan said ISRO had completed around 8,000 ground-based experiments for Gaganyaan, while four astronaut-designates were undergoing specialised training. The programme’s next milestone will be the first uncrewed test, subject to the agency’s stated timeline.
He also outlined plans for Chandrayaan-5, a joint lunar mission with Japan’s space agency. The mission is expected to feature a 350-kg rover designed to conduct experiments on the Moon’s surface for 100 days. Further details about the mission schedule and the division of responsibilities between the two space agencies were not provided in the statement.
The development of the Kulasekarapattinam complex and the planned expansion to four launch pads will now depend on the execution of the spaceport’s launch, integration and tracking infrastructure, along with the next stages of ISRO’s private-sector partnership programme.
