Puran Choudhary

IIT Madras-incubated startup, The ePlane Company, partners with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to develop scalable solutions for electric flying taxis focusing on battery life cycle modelling, demand estimation, and operational optimization. TCS will provide advanced analytics, IoT, and AI-driven solutions, leveraging ePlane's extensive battery data for accelerated battery life forecasting.

The startup, backed by 33 institutional investors including Bajaj Auto, Magna and Rocketship, aims to leverage different vehicle form factors to cater to a broader set of needs. So far, Yulu Bikes has raised over $123 million in equity capital and $12 million in debt financing from US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Northern Arc.

The startup intends to deploy 18 satellites in its constellation to deliver essential climate and Earth insights to industries worldwide. These indigenously developed satellites were integrated through SpaceX's Exolaunch and launched aboard the Transporter-12 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. They will orbit at approximately 550 km in a sun-synchronous orbit.

Digantara launched its SCOT satellite aboard SpaceX's Transporter-12 mission to enhance space safety and track Resident Space Objects (RSOs). The world's first commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellite, will monitor Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with improved efficiency. Backed by Aditya Birla Ventures and SIDBI, it aims to support national security and space operations.

Takeda opens its first Innovation Capability Centre in Bengaluru, targeting to hire 750 professionals in AI, data science, and cybersecurity. The facility aims to advance AI in drug discovery, clinical trials, and patient care. The company plans to launch its Dengue vaccine in India by 2026 and expand its focus on inflammation, oncology, and rare conditions.

India secures a place among elite spacefaring nations by successfully docking two satellites through its SpaDeX mission, attaining a significant milestone for ISRO. This success not only augments Indias future space endeavors, such as Chandrayaan-4, but also enhances participation of private industries in the space sector.

Shrinivas Kulkarni, Shaw Prize winner and a professor at Caltech, talks on the importance of thorough analysis and strategic choices in India's space endeavours. He compared India's space efforts to participating in the Olympics, describing it as an “expensive game.” Kulkarni also added that India's space capabilities are not yet comparable to those of China and the US.

Sky is the limit for Indian space startups in 2025, as they focus on attracting more funding, tap global markets and drive more real-time applications. Indian space startups are optimistic about the revised foreign direct investment (FDI) policy, which aims to unlock more capital for growth. Yashas Karanam, cofounder of Bellatrix Aerospace, said the revised FDI norms clarify exit strategies, allowing investors to freely sell shares and thus attract international funding.

Docking is crucial for deep space exploration, particularly for interplanetary missions, as it facilitates the transfer of cargo and supplies between spacecraft, thereby extending mission durations through the deployment of various modules, according to Madhavan Nair, former ISRO Chairman. Chandrayaan-1 project director, M Annadurai said that docking also helps with the removal of debris from orbit and safeguardes active satellites.

KASFAB Tools plans to invest Rs 250 crore in the next 6–12 months after fulfilling its first order, with plans to establish two more plants in the same region. UHP Technologies, a part of KAS Group, also recently secured a contract from Micron Semiconductor in Gujarat. The company specializes in Ultra High Purity (UHP) gas and chemical delivery systems.