GalaxEye Secures ₹63.84 Crore TDB Support to Advance Indigenous OptoSAR Satellite Technology

India’s private space sector has received a fresh technology-development boost with the Technology Development Board under the Department of Science and Technology signing an agreement with Bengaluru-based GalaxEye Space Solutions Private Limited for ₹63.84 crore in financial support.

The funding will support the development of an advanced multisensor Earth-observation satellite capable of combining Synthetic Aperture Radar and electro-optical imaging through GalaxEye’s indigenous OptoSAR architecture. The project has a total approved cost of ₹247.69 crore and is intended to mature the technology from Technology Readiness Level 6 to TRL 9.

₹63.84 Crore Support Under the RDI Fund

The financial assistance is being extended under the Government of India’s Research Development and Innovation Fund, which is intended to support technology-intensive projects moving from advanced development towards commercial deployment.

TDB will provide the ₹63.84 crore through Optionally Convertible Debentures. This financing structure will support GalaxEye through the engineering, testing, validation and deployment stages required to bring the satellite platform to full operational readiness.

The project reflects the government’s broader effort to increase private-sector participation in strategic and emerging technologies, particularly in sectors where advanced research must be converted into deployable indigenous systems.

OptoSAR Combines Radar and Optical Imaging

At the centre of the programme is GalaxEye’s OptoSAR concept, which combines two different Earth-observation technologies within a multisensor architecture.

Electro-optical imaging can produce highly detailed visual imagery but depends on suitable lighting and can be limited by cloud cover. Synthetic Aperture Radar operates differently. It generates imagery using radar signals and can function during both day and night while retaining the ability to observe through clouds.

By combining data from SAR and optical sensors, GalaxEye aims to generate a more continuous and information-rich view of the Earth than would be possible using either system alone.

Sub-0.5 Metre Imaging Capability

The proposed satellite is being designed to provide imaging at a resolution of less than 0.5 metre. This places the project in the category of very-high-resolution Earth observation, where imagery can reveal comparatively small features across large areas.

The system is intended to support wide-area surveillance, long-range monitoring, human and vehicle detection, target classification and other applications requiring detailed observation under varying weather and illumination conditions.

The combination of radar and electro-optical sensing is particularly relevant for missions where persistent observation is important and reliance on optical imagery alone could result in gaps during cloudy weather or darkness.

Moving From TRL-6 to TRL-9

The GalaxEye project is not starting from an early research stage. The technology has reached TRL-6, indicating that a representative system or subsystem has already demonstrated performance in a relevant environment.

The next phase will focus on taking the system through the demanding engineering and validation work needed to reach TRL-9, where the technology is proven in its final operational configuration.

This transition includes system integration, qualification, testing, performance validation and preparation for deployment. The RDI funding is intended to help bridge precisely this stage between a mature technological concept and a commercially deployable space system.

Strengthening India’s Private Earth-Observation Capability

India’s Earth-observation sector is increasingly moving beyond conventional satellite imagery towards multisensor platforms, higher revisit rates, improved resolution and faster data delivery.

Private companies are expected to play a growing role in this transition by developing specialised satellites, sensor payloads, downstream analytics and data services for both civilian and strategic applications.

GalaxEye’s OptoSAR approach adds another dimension to this ecosystem by seeking to combine two complementary sensing methods within a single observation architecture.

An indigenous capability of this kind could reduce dependence on external sources of high-resolution, all-weather Earth-observation data while giving Indian users greater control over tasking, data access and system configuration.

Applications Across Strategic and Civilian Sectors

Very-high-resolution multisensor imagery has potential applications across defence, border monitoring, disaster management, infrastructure planning, agriculture, maritime surveillance and environmental observation.

SAR imagery can be particularly valuable during floods, cyclones and prolonged cloud cover, when conventional optical satellites may struggle to provide usable imagery. Optical sensors, in turn, offer detailed visual information that can assist interpretation and classification.

Combining both datasets could improve situational awareness by allowing analysts to exploit the strengths of each sensing technology rather than depending on a single source of imagery.

TDB Pushes Technology Towards Commercial Deployment

Technology Development Board Secretary Rajesh Kumar Pathak said India’s space ecosystem is entering a phase in which the ability to develop and deploy sophisticated technologies domestically will become increasingly important.

He noted that the RDI Fund is designed to support technology-intensive programmes through the difficult transition from advanced development to deployment and commercialisation.

The GalaxEye agreement reflects this approach by directing public financial support towards a private company developing a strategically relevant indigenous space capability rather than limiting assistance to basic research alone.

GalaxEye Targets Operational Deployment

GalaxEye has said the TDB support will allow it to accelerate the development and validation of OptoSAR technology and move the platform towards TRL-9.

The company’s broader objective is to create an Earth-observation capability capable of producing high-resolution information across a wider range of weather and lighting conditions than conventional optical-only systems.

Successful completion of the programme would represent an important step for India’s emerging private satellite industry, particularly in advanced sensing technologies where hardware development, space qualification and deployment require substantial capital and sustained engineering effort.

A Significant Step in India’s NewSpace Transition

The agreement highlights the changing structure of India’s space sector. Private companies are increasingly moving from component supply and downstream services towards the development of complete satellite platforms, advanced sensors and proprietary observation technologies.

GalaxEye’s OptoSAR programme is part of this transition. By combining radar and optical sensing and taking the technology towards operational deployment, the project could give India a new domestically developed capability in high-resolution, all-weather Earth observation.

The ₹63.84 crore commitment from TDB therefore represents more than financial support for a single satellite. It is also an investment in the maturation of an indigenous sensing technology with potential relevance across commercial, scientific and strategic applications.

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References

Press Information Bureau, Department of Science & Technology — “TDB-DST signs agreement with GalaxEye for ₹63.84 crore RDI support to develop next-generation multisensor satellite technology,” 24 September 2026.

Technology Development Board, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India — Research Development and Innovation Fund.

GalaxEye Space Solutions Private Limited — OptoSAR Earth-observation technology.

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