Pixxel-Led ‘Allied Orbits’ Consortium Signs ₹1,200 Crore Pact with IN-SPACe for India’s First Private EO Constellation
By Cygnus | 21 Jan 2026
A Pixxel-led consortium on Wednesday signed a formal agreement with the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to build India’s first privately built and operated Earth Observation (EO) satellite constellation under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The consortium — officially named Allied Orbits — plans to invest over ₹1,200 crore to design, build, launch and operate a 12-satellite constellation in low-Earth orbit, aimed at providing high-resolution Earth imagery and analytics for government and commercial customers.
The deal marks a major milestone in India’s opening of the space sector to private enterprises, with startups increasingly taking on roles previously dominated by government-led programmes.
Zero-cost bid: consortium to fund full ₹1,200 crore project
Allied Orbits secured the EO-PPP mandate through a “zero-cost bid,” meaning the consortium chose to bear the full project cost while forgoing up to ₹350 crore in government PPP support.
By self-funding the initiative, the consortium is expected to retain greater flexibility to commercialise EO data for non-government clients, while ensuring Indian government agencies receive priority access for national requirements.
Pixxel founder and CEO Awais Ahmed called the agreement a defining moment for India’s private space ecosystem, as the programme advances the country’s ability to build and operate Earth imaging capacity domestically.
Multi-sensor constellation: optical, multispectral, hyperspectral and SAR
The 12-satellite constellation will integrate multiple sensing technologies, including high-resolution optical imaging, multispectral and hyperspectral payloads, as well as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) — allowing day-night, all-weather imaging capability.
According to public disclosures linked to the EO-PPP programme, the consortium includes:
- Pixxel (hyperspectral + optical systems),
- PierSight (SAR satellites),
- SatSure (multispectral data and analytics), and
- Dhruva Space (ground segment and related infrastructure).
First launches expected from 2027
Initial launches are expected to begin from 2027, with the full constellation planned to be deployed over the coming years under the EO-PPP rollout.
The consortium said government agencies would have priority use of the data for applications including agriculture, climate monitoring, disaster response and national security, while also enabling commercial services for domestic and international customers.
Summary
On January 21, 2026, the Pixxel-led Allied Orbits consortium signed an agreement with IN-SPACe to build and operate a 12-satellite Earth Observation constellation under India’s EO-PPP framework. The project involves an investment of over ₹1,200 crore, with the consortium funding the initiative through a zero-cost bid, forgoing up to ₹350 crore in government PPP support. Initial launches are expected to begin from 2027.
Why This Matters
India’s space economy is entering a new phase where private startups are no longer limited to vendor roles — they are beginning to build and operate national-grade strategic infrastructure under public-private partnership frameworks.
The Pixxel-led Allied Orbits agreement with IN-SPACe matters for three reasons:
- A new EO ownership model:
Unlike traditional government-built satellites, this constellation is designed to be privately built and operated, while still ensuring priority access for Indian government agencies. - Faster capacity-building for India:
Earth Observation data is increasingly essential for agriculture planning, disaster response, border monitoring, climate tracking and infrastructure mapping — and a multi-sensor fleet can reduce reliance on external providers. - Commercial opportunity and global competitiveness:
By combining hyperspectral, multispectral and SAR payloads, the constellation opens up new revenue opportunities in global analytics markets — while strengthening India’s ambition to become a serious exporter of space-based services.
FAQs
Q1: What is the Allied Orbits consortium?
Allied Orbits is a Pixxel-led consortium including Dhruva Space, PierSight and SatSure, selected under IN-SPACe’s EO-PPP programme to build a 12-satellite EO constellation.
Q2: What does a “zero bid” mean here?
It means the consortium bid ₹0 for government funding support, choosing to fund the project privately while forgoing up to ₹350 crore in PPP support.
Q3: When will the satellites launch?
Initial launches are expected to begin from 2027, with the constellation planned to be rolled out over subsequent years.
Q4: How does this change India’s space sector?
It strengthens a shift toward private design-build-operate models, with government agencies becoming anchor customers for EO data under a PPP framework.
Q5: What is hyperspectral imaging?
Hyperspectral imaging captures hundreds of narrow spectral bands, enabling advanced detection of materials and conditions — such as crop stress, soil composition, pollution and industrial leaks — that standard imaging may miss.
