India's Largest Spacetech VC Fund Antariksh Raises Rs 1,005 Crore in First Close
- SVCL closes first round of its Rs 1,600 crore Antariksh spacetech fund at Rs 1,005 crore
- IN-SPACe anchors the fund with Rs 1,000 crore commitment
- Fund to back early and growth-stage spacetech startups across multiple segments
Sidbi Venture Capital Ltd (SVCL) has achieved the first close of its Rs 1,600 crore Antariksh Venture Capital Fund at Rs 1,005 crore. The milestone comes after the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) committed Rs 1,000 crore as the anchor investor. SVCL said this makes Antariksh the largest dedicated spacetech fund in India and one of the major funds globally in this sector.
Registered as a Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) with a 10-year tenure, the Antariksh fund will support early and growth-stage spacetech startups. Investments will focus on launch systems, satellites, payloads, in-space operations, ground infrastructure, earth observation, communication technologies, and other downstream applications.
This is SVCL’s 12th venture capital fund and is designed to support India’s ambition of building a $44-billion space economy by 2033. After the anchor commitment and signing of the contribution agreement with IN-SPACe, SVCL has opened the fund for further investments through a green-shoe option. The firm plans to raise more capital from domestic and international institutions, including sovereign funds.
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SVCL said the fund aligns with India’s Space Vision 2047 and Sidbi’s mission to strengthen MSMEs and innovation-led enterprises. Arup Kumar, Managing Director and CEO of SIDBI Venture Capital Limited, noted that SVCL has a long history in venture investing since 1999 and has supported category-leading companies such as BillDesk and Data Patterns. He added that the Antariksh fund will significantly boost India’s space capabilities and competitiveness.
The fund complements Sidbi’s broader efforts to support startups, manufacturing, and the country’s deep-tech ecosystem.
