India plans to have four operational launch pads by 2029, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman V. Narayanan said on October 24, 2026. The target includes a third launch pad at Sriharikota and the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle complex at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu, according to Times of India reporting.
Narayanan also defended involving private companies in operations at the new spaceport. He said cooperation with Indian startups and established businesses would help meet demand for satellite launches. The announcement concerns planned capacity and operating arrangements; it does not mean that four pads are already available.
A Dedicated Site for Small Satellites
Kulasekarapattinam is intended primarily for polar launches of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, or SSLV. Polar trajectories carry spacecraft over or near the poles, allowing successive orbits to pass over different parts of Earth as the planet rotates beneath them.
ISRO’s construction announcement identifies small satellites up to 500 kilograms as the market for the launch complex. That figure concerns satellite payload capacity, not the mass of the rocket.
Construction of major facilities began on March 5, 2025, after the complex’s foundation stone was laid in February 2024. The initial work included upper-stage assembly facilities and a launch service building. These facilities support preparation of rocket stages before they are integrated into a complete launch vehicle.
The approximately 2,000-acre development also includes vehicle-integration buildings, launch infrastructure, rail-track systems, tracking equipment, telemetry and command systems, and safety facilities. These supporting systems allow teams to prepare a rocket, monitor its condition, and track its flight.
Infrastructure and Operations
A new launch pad supplies one part of the infrastructure required for more missions. Vehicle production, integration capacity, and operating teams must also support the intended flight rate. New Space Economy’s review of Indian launch capacity distinguishes those elements from the development of new launch vehicles.
Narayanan’s remarks connect the infrastructure program with private-sector participation in commercial operations. ISRO’s project description similarly anticipates Indian industry producing SSLV during its operational phase. The reported expectation for the first launch from the new complex is 2027, ahead of the wider four-pad target for 2029.
