Kamal Ghorui
BENGALURU: The country’s first Earth Observation Satellite System (EOSS) under PPP saw a key milestone Tuesday with the signing of a concession agreement that allows the winning consortium to finally begin work on the ground, four months after it won the project from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe)The agreement was between IN-SPACe and Allied Orbits — the special purpose vehicle (SPV) created by the consortium of Pixxel Space, Piersight Space, Satsure Analytics India, and Dhruva Space — at the former’s office in Bengaluru.TOI reported first that the agreement was expected to be signed this week in its Jan 19 edition. Also, as reported in Aug 2025, the consortium had won the project through a “zero-bid”. While the concession agreement was to be signed within three months, a delay in processes saw it signed on Tuesday.The project will create a constellation of 12 satellites, data from which will be used for applications ranging from climate change monitoring and disaster response to agriculture, infrastructure planning, maritime operations, and national security, where there are huge gaps so far as having eyes in the sky is concerned.The consortium will implement the project through Allied Orbits. “As part of the project, PierSight will build synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, Pixxel will build hyperspectral & high resolution optical satellite, Satsure will make multispectral satellites, and Dhruva will develop ground stations,” Gaurav Seth, PierSight CEO and co-founder, told TOI.Over the next four to five years, the consortium is expected to invest more than Rs 1,200 crore to create the 12-satellite constellation in low-Earth orbit. The project is designed to enhance India’s data sovereignty and reduce dependence on foreign imagery. All satellites will be manufactured in India, launched on Indian rockets, and controlled from ground infrastructure within the country.IN-SPACe described the programme as a paradigm shift in India’s space policy – one that places private enterprise at the heart of building national capability. In addition to meeting India’s own needs, the consortium is expected to be allowed to sell analysis-ready data and value-added services commercially.
