The Vikram-1 is a four-stage, expendable orbital small-lift launch vehicle (rocket) developed by the Hyderabad-based private space-tech startup, Skyroot Aerospace. Named in honor of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's space program, it is designed to launch small satellites weighing up to 350 kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 500 km.
Its development was enabled by the Indian government's space-sector reforms after 2020, marking India's entry into the era of private orbital launch vehicles and reducing dependence on ISRO for small-satellite launches. The rocket is the orbital successor to the suborbital demonstrator Vikram-S, which became the first privately built Indian rocket to reach space in November 2022. The flight-ready configuration of Vikram-I was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2025.
The approximately 24-meter tall rocket uses a four-stage propulsion system. The first three stages are powered by solid propulsion (Kalam-1200, Kalam-250, and Kalam-100). The fourth stage, or upper kick stage, uses four Raman-I liquid-propellant engines, which are restartable to precisely place multiple customer satellites into different orbits. The vehicle incorporates an all-carbon composite structure and uses 3D-printed liquid engines. The maiden orbital test flight, named Mission Aagaman, is targeted for July 18, 2026, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, under the supervision of IN-SPACe.