China Spends More On Space, But India Has An Edge In Public Trust

India is increasingly positioning its space sector as a strategic economic and geopolitical asset, with private companies joining government-backed programmes and expanding into areas such as satellite manufacturing, propulsion and launch systems. Yashas Karanam, Co-Founder and COO of Bellatrix Aerospace, believes China currently has a much broader range of space capabilities because of its significantly larger investment, but argues that India has an important advantage in international trust.

Karanam, speaking in an interview with NDTV, pointed to the scale of China's investment as one of the biggest differences between the two countries. He noted that Beijing has committed substantially more funding to space, while India's space budget remains comparatively smaller. At the same time, he argued that China's growing capabilities are accompanied by geopolitical concerns that can make other countries and international companies cautious about working closely with Chinese commercial space firms.

According to Karanam, India's space sector could benefit from this trust factor as global partnerships and commercial opportunities expand. He also addressed concerns over scientists leaving the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), arguing that the trend is driven largely by differences in compensation rather than foreign companies actively recruiting India's top talent. Many experienced ISRO scientists, he noted, are moving into India's growing private space sector, where several startups are expanding their teams and capabilities.

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Karanam believes India can realistically target a position among the world's top three space powers, although he acknowledged that the US remains the leading country and China currently occupies a strong position in the global ranking. He pointed to India's engineering talent, manufacturing capabilities and growing number of private space companies as factors that could help the country close the gap. He also argued that Indian companies are increasingly matching international standards in delivery timelines and quality.

The broader space economy, he noted, is expected to be driven by several major areas, including satellite-based telecommunications and connectivity, defence and surveillance, and emerging applications such as in-orbit servicing and potentially space-based data centres. For consumers, the benefits are already visible through satellite navigation, disaster response and remote connectivity. Satellite systems are also becoming increasingly important for monitoring conflict zones and supporting national security without relying solely on aircraft or drones.

Karanam also reflected on Bellatrix Aerospace's early years, when Indian space technology startups struggled to attract private investment. He recalled that the company faced more than 100 rejections before securing its first funding round around 2015-16, when India's private space ecosystem was still at an early stage. He further pointed to the industry's shift from large geostationary satellites toward smaller Low Earth Orbit systems, which operate much closer to Earth and can provide lower latency and improved imaging. Bellatrix is also working on propulsion technologies for satellites operating at increasingly lower altitudes, where propulsion and atmospheric effects create additional engineering challenges.

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