How Russia and India are exploring space together

India is making significant strides in space exploration: it has landed a spacecraft near the Moon’s south pole, reached Mars on its first attempt, launched a solar observatory, and has placed over 400 foreign satellites into orbit. Even more ambitious projects are in the pipeline, many of them in collaboration with Russia. The partnership continues to grow, and Russia is now a key technological partner in India's manned space flight programme, which aims to send manned spacecraft into low Earth orbit.

Let’s look at how Russian–Indian cooperation in this sphere is developing and what opportunities this opens up for Indian businesses.

Countries with space programs 2025

Source: World Population Review

Why India needs a strong space programme

For India, space exploration is not just a matter of political prestige, but also a tool for addressing the country’s pressing development challenges.

• Agriculture. Satellite data (Resourcesat-2, Cartosat-1) helps forecast crop yields, monitor irrigation, and respond to natural disasters.
• Digitalisation and connectivity. Satellites provide internet access in remote parts of the country and support infrastructure development under the Digital India initiative.
• Security. Space technology is used for surveillance, navigation, and drone operations.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is launching new missions every 1.5 to 2 years to study the Sun (Aditya-L1), the Moon (Chandrayaan-3), and Venus (Shukrayaan-1).

The commercial space sector is growing rapidly:

• Since 2015, India has earned USD 143 million launching satellites for 34 countries.
• In 2022, India’s first private rocket manufacturer, Skyroot Aerospace, was established.
• Since 2023, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has regulated private sector participation in space activities.

Russia: expertise, technology, and the search for new partners

Russia remains a global leader in several areas of the space sector.

• Manned missions. Russia is the only country besides China with an active manned space flight programme and regular launches to the International Space Station (ISS).
• Heavy-lift launch vehicles. Russia continues to launch Soyuz and Proton rockets and is developing the Amur methane-fuelled rocket.
• Navigation technology. The GLONASS positioning system is one of three global competitors to GPS.
• Orbital infrastructure. Russia has extensive experience in building long-term space stations—from Salyut and Mir to the ISS, which it also helped build. Additionally, it plans to launch modules for the Russian Orbital Station (ROS) between 2027 and 2028.

Highest government expenditure on space programs in 2022 and 2024 by country (billion USD)

Source: Statista

Russian–Indian cooperation: from satellites to exploration

In recent years, cooperation between Roscosmos and ISRO has become more structured and is developing across several key areas, including the exchange of scientific expertise and technology and the implementation of joint projects.

Satellites and launch vehicles

Russia has strong capabilities in the production of heavy and super-heavy launch vehicles and is particularly interested in reducing their manufacturing costs, miniaturising payloads, and developing joint satellites—especially for communications and Earth observation.

Opportunities for Indian businesses:

• Supplying satellite electronics—sensors, gyroscopes, microcontrollers, and radio systems
• Joint assembly and integration of small satellites (CubeSat, MicroSat) for environmental monitoring and telemetry
• Developing telemetry platforms for launch systems
• Contract manufacturing of components for the Amur rocket and other next-generation launch vehicles

Manned missions

In 2024, four Indian astronauts completed their training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre as part of the Gaganyaan programme. Russia has also supplied India with Sokol space suits and life support systems, and contributed to the development of the emergency safety system.

Areas for Indian involvement:

• Design of medical and scientific onboard equipment
• Development of capsule thermal regulation and ventilation systems
• Production of space suits and their components
• Design of simulators and software for ground-based astronaut training

Lunar and Martian missions

India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission is now complete, and Chandrayaan-4 will involve sample return. Russia is continuing to develop the Luna 27 mission and is working on a long-term Mars mission together with organisations at the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).

Indian companies and research institutes can contribute in the following areas:

• Development of scientific modules, including spectrometers, seismometers, and spectral analysers
• Manufacturing of mobile landing and rover platforms
• Collection, storage, and return of lunar soil samples
• Design of Martian orbiters and communications relays

Space science, personnel, and education

Russia and India are furthering their cooperation in space science and education. Indian specialists train at the Gagarin Training Centre and take part in joint research projects with the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Moscow Aviation Institute, and other organisations.

The two countries are working together to develop the fields of space medicine, astronomy and spectroscopy, materials science, and nanotechnology, which includes testing new coatings and structural materials for lunar and orbital missions.

Formats of collaboration:

• Long-term exchange programmes for postgraduate students and academic staff
• Consortia of research institutes and universities under the auspices of the Indian and Russian space agencies
• Virtual laboratories and shared scientific databases