Bengaluru-based pixxel Space is a rarity in India’s $13 billion spacetech industry. For one thing, Pixxel has received investor funding in a testament to the potential of the company. It was picked by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2024 to provide earth observation data on climate change, biodiversity and agriculture to its $476 million Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program.
The company, founded in 2019 by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, is also one of the few to actually earn revenue from its business. Chief Executive Officer Ahmed, who has a master’s degree in mathematics from BITS Pilani, says Pixxel is still an infant when it comes to commercialising operations.
“The true yardstick of a successful spacetech ecosystem is the revenue it generates and how quickly it can achieve profitability, even while continuing to invest in research & development. By that measure, we are still at a very early stage,” Ahmed, 25, says.
