{
  "id": 14188798,
  "title": "Srinath Ravichandran and Suyash Singh on overcoming failure in spacetech",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/srinath-ravichandran-and-suyash-singh-on-overcoming-failure-in",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-13T11:21:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "YourStory",
    "slug": "yourstory",
    "url": "https://yourstory.com/2026/10/techsparks-srinath-ravichandran-suyash-singh-overcoming-failure-spacetech"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the burgeoning Indian space technology sector, private players often face a tumultuous journey marked by persistent rejections and supply chain challenges. Srinath Ravichandran, Co-founder and CEO of AgniKul Cosmos, and Suyash Singh, Co-founder and CEO of GalaxEye, shared their experiences at the 17th edition of YourStory’s TechSparks. AgniKul, founded in 2017, operated in a still-evolving regulatory framework, with Ravichandran enduring 275 investor rejections before securing backing. Similarly, GalaxEye encountered approximately 100 rejections during Singh’s time there. Early success required founders to break down ambitious goals into manageable milestones, rather than adhering to rigid long-term strategies. Ravichandran emphasized the importance of patience and a step-by-step approach, highlighting how this mindset shaped AgniKul’s business model. Instead of the billion-dollar capital requirements typical in Western aerospace, AgniKul adopted a pay-per-kilogram transportation model for small satellites, targeting a $50 to $60 million revenue threshold. This cost-effective approach, using 3D-printed engines and a mobile launchpad, enabled AgniKul to prepare for orbital customer flights and test rocket stage reusability. Conversely, GalaxEye pioneered OptoSAR, a technology combining optical cameras with synthetic aperture radar to penetrate clouds and darkness. However, the launch of their largest satellite only lasted 30 days before communication was lost. Singh acknowledged the importance of learning from such failures, stating that handling such setbacks is crucial for the industry’s growth. Despite these challenges, the demand for space-based Earth observation is rapidly expanding due to geopolitical tensions around the world, making surveillance an essential requirement rather than a luxury. Still, scaling space ventures in India faces structural obstacles, such as scarce funding for growth-stage capital and supply chain difficulties. Startups often rely on European vendors for specialised components, which can be heavy and costly, leading to reliance on international sources. However, India’s private space technology ecosystem is gaining prestige due to a strong human capital base. Foreign visa restrictions in Western aerospace sectors are encouraging top Indian engineers to remain or return to the country, with employee stock options offering a pathway to wealth creation. Ravichandran believes that this growing talent pool is propelling India’s space technology sector into maturity.",
  "summary": "At TechSparks 2026, AgniKul’s Srinath Ravichandran and GalaxEye’s Suyash Singh share how frugal innovation, perseverance through failure, and strategic policy shifts are shaping India’s emerging private space technology sector.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}