India’s private space ambitions have a new contender from an unexpected city. Bharath Space Vehicle (BSV), a startup founded in 2024 and based in Surat, Gujarat, is working on what could become one of the country’s most credible private rocket programs.
The founding team brings more than 70 years of combined experience from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). BSV is developing Agasthya-1, a two-stage expendable rocket powered by LOX/RP-1 (liquid oxygen and kerosene) engines, designed to provide affordable and reliable access to space.
Standing 28 meters tall, Agasthya-1 targets the small-satellite market, capable of carrying 500 kg to a Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit and 800 kg to a low-Earth orbit at roughly 400 km altitude. Unlike most Indian small-satellite rockets, including ISRO’s SSLV, Agasthya-1 uses liquid engines, allowing full testing on the ground before launch. This “fly-what-you-test” approach reduces in-flight failure risk and enables launch readiness within 24 hours, an advantage for defense and disaster-response satellites.
The founding team includes Dr. N. Vedachalam, former director of ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, who led the development of India’s first cryogenic engine for the GSLV. Co-founder S.V. Sharma, a structural engineering veteran from Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, contributed to multiple ISRO launch vehicle programs. Bhavin Patel, COO and CFO, is an aerospace engineer from IIT Kanpur.
BSV has proposed a launch complex near Kodinar in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district. The coastal location offers open-sea access and favorable launch corridors. If approved, this would give India its first west-coast orbital launch site, reducing dependence on Sriharikota.
A framework MoU with IN-SPACe and ISRO gives BSV access to national testing facilities, technical expertise, and launch infrastructure, providing a significant advantage for an early-stage private rocket company.
With India’s 2023 New Space Policy opening up the launch vehicle market to private players, BSV joins companies like Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos in enabling frequent, affordable satellite launches. The Surat-based startup aims to add a new chapter to India’s private space journey, combining expertise from decades of ISRO experience with innovative technology.
