Space and defence companies are in focus and one of India’s most celebrated industrialists and the M&M Chairperson, Anand Mahindra on Sunday said he is a “proud investor” in Chennai-based space startup Agnikul Cosmos, as the company announced a key propulsion milestone.
“The returns from this investment go far beyond financial rewards,” Mahindra wrote on X- a social network platform. “It’s about getting a ringside seat to watch the literal ‘take-off’ of Indian talent.”
His remarks came after Agnikul said it had successfully test-fired three semi-cryogenic rocket engines simultaneously in a clustered configuration, a first-of-its-kind achievement in India.
Cluster milestone for commercial missions
The engines, powered by electric motor-driven pumps, were designed and manufactured in-house at Agnikul’s Rocket Factory-1. All three were fully 3D-printed as single-piece hardware units, reflecting the startup’s focus on advanced manufacturing and indigenous engineering.
Co-founder and chief executive Srinath Ravichandran said that increasing the number of engines improves rocket performance and that a three-engine system is required for commercial missions.
The clustered test involved calibrating six pumps and six motors and fine-tuning six independent speed control algorithms to function in synchronisation. The goal was to achieve uniform startup, steady-state operation and shutdown performance across all three engines, a technically complex process given the precision required in semi-cryogenic propulsion systems.
Scaling up after earlier tests
The latest demonstration builds on Agnikul’s earlier milestones. The startup conducted its debut launch in May 2024 with the Indian Space Research Organisation using a single engine. In October 2025, it carried out a simultaneous firing of two semi-cryogenic engines.
The three-engine clustered firing marks a step toward higher thrust configurations and enhanced payload capability for its small satellite launch vehicle programme. Ravichandran said the number of engines used in future launches would depend on mission requirements and customer specifications.
Agnikul was founded in 2017 and incubated at IIT Madras. The company develops customisable launch vehicles, ensuring cost-effective access to space.
The company also credited the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and ISRO for backing its journey, saying access to testing facilities, launch infrastructure, and technical guidance has helped private startups like Agnikul move from concept to flight-ready systems far more quickly than would otherwise have been possible.
In November 2025, the company raised funding of Rs 150 crore at a $500 million valuation, from family offices and institutional investors, including Advenza Global, Atharva Green Ecotech LLP, HDFC Bank, Artha Select Fund, Prathithi Ventures and 100X.VC.
The company said the capital would be deployed to scale production of aerospace and rocket components, advance its stage-recovery programme and develop its upcoming integrated space campus on 350 acres allotted by the Tamil Nadu government.