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India has costliest rocket launches, study finds
A peer-reviewed study by economists Alessio Terzi and Francesco Nicoli, published in Economics Letters, has found that India has the most expensive rocket launches among six major space-faring markets. The cost of…
A peer-reviewed study by economists Alessio Terzi and Francesco Nicoli, published in Economics Letters, has found that India has the most expensive rocket launches among six major space-faring markets. The cost of launching a satellite from India at the end of 2025 stood at $13,302 (Rs 12.7 lakh) per kg, more than four times the US cost of $3,225 (Rs 3.1 lakh), the lowest among the markets studied. India is also more expensive than the European Union ($9,897 per kg), Russia, China and Japan, the study found.
The prices relate to launches coordinated by NewSpace India Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO. Experts quoted in the report said India needs to lower launch costs to match the EU or Japan, at about $7,000 per kg, to stay competitive. The high cost challenges India's traditional selling point of frugal space missions, especially for the private space industry.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both sources report the same study and data without significant variation in framing. The Wire adds expert commentary calling for cost reduction and notes the impact on India's private space industry, while NDTV sticks to the raw figures. The coverage is uniform straight reporting with no discernible pro-government or critical slant. The key implication is that India's cost disadvantage could undermine its space commercial ambitions unless addressed through policy or technology changes. Watch for ISRO's next pricing revision or new launch vehicle announcements.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): m.thewire.in (neutral report), ndtv.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
