HAL to Build Small Satellite Rockets After Securing 511 Crore ISRO Deal

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd HAL has been awarded a 511 crore contract to manufacture the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle SSLV after emerging as the top bidder in a competitive process. The announcement was made by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center IN SPACe on Wednesday.

This development marks one of the first times a complete launch vehicle technology has been transferred from a government space agency to a private company. With this deal HAL will gain the capability to build operate and commercialise SSLV launches independently.

Dr Pawan Goenka Chairman of IN SPACe described the agreement as a pivotal moment in India's journey toward becoming a significant player in the 44 billion dollar global space economy.

HAL secured the deal by outperforming two other consortia in a months long evaluation. One was led by Alpha Design Technologies along with Agnikul Cosmos and Walchand Industries while the other group included Bharat Dynamics working with Skyroot Aerospace BHEL and Keltron.

Dr D K Sunil Chairman and Managing Director of HAL said the company is committed to a phase wise approach and will work to develop a collaborative ecosystem for small satellite launches from Indian spaceports.

The SSLV technology transfer will be formalised through an agreement between HAL ISRO NewSpace India Ltd NSIL and IN SPACe. The deal includes comprehensive training and support from ISRO including the construction and launch of two SSLVs over the next two years.

Rajeev Jyoti Director Technical Directorate at IN SPACe noted that SSLV systems are multidisciplinary and will require extensive training of HAL teams at both ISRO and HAL facilities.

Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre VSSC said the move will strengthen India’s global standing in small satellite launches offering reliable and cost effective options to international clients.

As of 253 PM on Wednesday shares of HAL were trading at 4962 point 90 on the NSE reflecting a 1 point 24 percent increase.