Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V Narayanan (2R), Skyroot Aerospace CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana (2R) alongwith COO and co-founder Naga Bharath Daka (3R) pose with a replica of the Vikram-1 rocket, during a press conference after its successful launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, an island off the coast of Andhra Pradesh on July 18, 2026. India's first privately built orbital rocket took its maiden flight on July 18, its company said, marking a significant step for the South Asian giant as it eyes a bigger slice of the global space economy. (Photo by R. Satish BABU / AFP via Getty Images)