The Indian Space Policy 2023 establishes the framework for private sector participation in India's space economy — with ISRO as the research and development body, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) as the commercial arm, and IN-SPACe as the independent regulatory and promotional body for private sector activities. Every private company launching rockets, operating satellites, or providing space-based services in India now requires authorisation from IN-SPACe, and that authorisation process is still evolving as the regulatory framework is refined.
Goldschmidt Pallonji's Space Law practice is India's most specialised commercial space law capability. It combines deep expertise in the Indian space regulatory framework — IN-SPACe authorisation, NSIL commercial arrangements, spectrum coordination through the ITU process, FDI compliance for foreign investment in Indian space companies — with an international space law practice that draws on the Outer Space Treaty, the Liability Convention, the Registration Convention, and the emerging commercial space frameworks in Australia, Singapore, and the UAE, all jurisdictions where GP has practised and where the regulatory frameworks for commercial space are more developed than India's.
For Indian space startups raising international capital — from Australian space companies, Singapore-based aerospace investors, or US venture funds — GP provides the complete investment legal framework: the corporate structure for the investment, the FEMA FDI compliance for the overseas investor, the IN-SPACe regulatory compliance for the entity receiving investment, and the international space law due diligence that a sophisticated space investor will conduct before deploying capital into an Indian launch vehicle or satellite company.
From IN-SPACe authorisation and launch contracts through satellite spectrum and international liability — the complete legal capability India's new space economy requires.
End-to-end IN-SPACe authorisation support for private Indian space companies — launch vehicle manufacturers, satellite operators, ground station operators, and space services providers. Application preparation, compliance structuring, condition management, and ongoing regulatory interface with IN-SPACe as the regulatory framework evolves. National Space Policy 2023 compliance — understanding the respective roles of ISRO, NSIL, and IN-SPACe for private sector participants and structuring the company's regulatory relationships accordingly. Government space project participation — tendering, collaboration agreements, and technology transfer arrangements with ISRO and NSIL.
Learn More →Launch services agreements between launch vehicle operators and satellite payload customers — payload accommodation, launch schedule and delay provisions, insurance obligations, liability allocation, and the interaction between the international liability framework under the Liability Convention and the contractual indemnity regime. Cross-border launch contracts — Indian launch vehicles carrying overseas payloads, and Indian satellites launching on overseas vehicles. Waiver of recourse provisions and government indemnity arrangements where applicable. Launch insurance — policy procurement, claims management, and the interaction between the Liability Convention's strict liability regime and commercial insurance coverage.
Learn More →Satellite licensing through the Department of Telecommunications and coordination through the ITU filing process. Orbital slot and frequency spectrum coordination — the ITU notification, coordination, and registration process for Indian satellites, and the management of interference objections from other administrations. VSAT licensing for ground infrastructure. Remote sensing satellite licensing under the Remote Sensing Data Policy. For foreign satellite operators seeking to provide services in India — market access licensing, gateway station approvals, and the regulatory framework for foreign satellite capacity on Indian territory.
Learn More →Investment structuring for Indian space startups — domestic VC rounds, SEBI AIF participation, and cross-border FDI from overseas strategic and financial investors. The FDI policy for space activities (100% FDI permitted under automatic route for satellites and launch vehicles with government approval for certain categories). FEMA compliance for foreign investment. Dual-use technology and strategic investment considerations for defence-adjacent space companies — the FDI restrictions that apply to companies with significant defence applications. Technology licensing and IP structuring for space startups with both Indian and overseas IP, R&D, and customer relationships.
Learn More →India's obligations under the five UN space treaties — the Outer Space Treaty, the Liability Convention, the Registration Convention, the Rescue Agreement, and the Moon Agreement — and their application to private Indian space activities. State liability for damage caused by Indian space objects, and the pass-through obligations to private operators. Cross-border space cooperation agreements — the bilateral space agreements between India and Australia, Singapore, the UAE, and other partners, and their commercial implications for Indian companies engaging in cross-border space activities. Space debris obligations and long-term sustainability guidelines — the ITU and COPUOS frameworks that govern responsible satellite operations.
Learn More →Legal framework for commercial remote sensing and earth observation businesses — licensing under the Remote Sensing Data Policy 2011 and its subsequent revisions, data licensing agreements for downstream users, data sharing restrictions for national security-sensitive imagery, export control compliance for satellite imagery, and the IP framework for earth observation data products. Space-as-a-service businesses that use satellite data as a commercial input — the licensing and data use agreements that govern satellite data supply chains. For overseas customers of Indian earth observation data — the cross-border data licensing framework and the restrictions on foreign access to sensitive imagery.
Learn More →India's space sector is projected to reach $44 billion by 2033, growing from approximately $8 billion today. The growth will come from three sources: commercial launch services (where Agnikul, Skyroot, and others are building the next generation of Indian launch vehicles), satellite manufacturing and operations (where OneWeb, Eutelsat, and Indian operators are establishing manufacturing and operations in India), and downstream space-based services (earth observation, precision agriculture, maritime tracking, navigation, and broadband connectivity). Each of these sectors has a different regulatory profile, a different IP structure, a different investment framework, and a different international legal dimension. GP's space law practice covers all three — because the companies that will define India's space economy are being built right now.
The FDI policy for India's space sector — revised in 2024 to permit 100% foreign investment under the automatic route for launch vehicles, satellites, ground segment, and user segment — has opened Indian space companies to overseas capital in a way that was not previously available. However, companies with defence-adjacent activities, dual-use technology, or government satellite contracts may face government approval requirements for foreign investment above certain thresholds. The technology transfer implications of foreign investment — particularly from strategic investors — require assessment against India's export control framework. GP advises overseas investors — Australian space funds, Singapore-based aerospace investors, GCC sovereign vehicles interested in Indian space infrastructure — on the complete Indian investment framework for space sector FDI.
India's space law framework is in active development. The Space Activities Bill — which will provide the primary statutory basis for regulation of private space activities — has not yet been enacted. IN-SPACe's authorisation framework is being refined through each successive authorisation. The FDI policy has been revised once and will be revised again. The spectrum management framework for commercial satellite services is still evolving. The companies that engage with IN-SPACe, the DoT, and the DoS as active participants in the regulatory process — providing input on draft rules, building relationships with the regulatory bodies, and structuring their operations in ways that are consistent with the direction of the emerging framework — will have a structural advantage over competitors who wait for the rules to be finalised before engaging. GP advises space companies on how to be in the room when the rules are being written.
Space law in India is simultaneously domestic law (IN-SPACe authorisation, DoT licensing, FEMA FDI compliance) and international law (Outer Space Treaty, Liability Convention, ITU Radio Regulations, bilateral cooperation agreements). Most Indian law firms understand the domestic dimension. GP understands both — and additionally understands the space law frameworks of Australia, Singapore, and the UAE from practitioners who have worked in those jurisdictions. For cross-border space transactions involving India's principal bilateral space partners, this is the only complete legal coverage available from a single Indian firm.
A space startup needs more than space law. It needs the VC transaction documentation for its seed round, the IP ownership structure for its launch vehicle or satellite technology, the ESOP plan for its engineering team, the IN-SPACe authorisation for its launch activities, the spectrum licensing for its satellite payload, and the FDI structuring for its international investor. GP provides all of this from one team — the space law practice, the startup and VC practice, the IP practice, and the international tax practice working together on the same client. For a space startup, this integration is not a convenience. It is the difference between a company that is investment-ready and one that is not.
GP's space law practice is built on active engagement with the regulatory process — participating in IN-SPACe consultations, advising on draft regulations, and maintaining current relationships with the regulatory bodies. This engagement means that GP's space law advice reflects not only the current published framework but the direction in which the framework is developing. For space companies that need to structure their operations for the regulatory environment that will exist in three years — not just the one that exists today — this insight into the direction of regulatory development is invaluable.
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Advised an Indian private launch vehicle company through the complete IN-SPACe authorisation process for its small satellite launch vehicle — including preparation of the authorisation application, technical documentation review, liability and insurance framework design consistent with India's Liability Convention obligations, and conditions management through to authorisation grant. Following authorisation, structured the first commercial launch services agreement for the company — a payload accommodation agreement with an overseas satellite customer, with cross-border liability allocation, force majeure provisions for launch delay, waiver of recourse provisions, and launch insurance requirements. The launch contract structure was designed for replicability across subsequent commercial customers.
Advised an Australian space technology company on the legal framework for a joint venture with an Indian satellite manufacturer — structured as a 49% Australian / 51% Indian entity to comply with the FDI policy for defence-adjacent space activities. GP managed the FEMA FDI compliance for the Australian investment, the technology licensing arrangement between the Australian parent and the joint venture (including compliance with the India-Australia Technology Safeguards Agreement), the IN-SPACe authorisation for the joint venture's manufacturing activities, the IP ownership and licensing structure for the satellite technology developed by the joint venture, and the exit provisions for the Australian partner. Advised simultaneously on both the Indian and Australian legal dimensions of the joint venture from one team.
Advised an Indian earth observation and analytics company on its Rs.38 crore Series A investment from a Singapore-headquartered deep-tech fund. GP structured the investment documentation (CCPS, SHA, Angel Tax valuation), managed the FEMA FDI compliance for the Singapore investor, advised on the Remote Sensing Data Policy licensing requirements for the company's satellite data products, established the IP ownership structure for the company's data processing algorithms and proprietary datasets, and reviewed the company's existing customer data licensing agreements for compliance with the Remote Sensing Data Policy's restrictions on foreign access to sensitive imagery. The Series A closed with the investor fully informed of the regulatory framework and the company's compliance position within it.
The practice is led by a lawyer with specific expertise in India's space regulatory framework and international space law, working alongside GP's international corridor specialists for the Australia, Singapore, and UAE bilateral space law dimensions. The practice draws on GP's corporate, IP, tax, and investment practices for the full-stack legal support that space startups and investors require — from incorporation and first VC round through to IN-SPACe authorisation and first commercial launch contract.
GP is an active participant in the Indian space law policy development process — providing input on draft regulations, participating in IN-SPACe stakeholder consultations, and maintaining current working knowledge of the regulatory framework as it evolves.
What IN-SPACe authorisation covers, what the application requires, how the Liability Convention affects private operator obligations, and the insurance framework — a practical guide for Indian launch vehicle, satellite, and space services companies seeking their first IN-SPACe authorisation.
Read Guide →The 2024 FDI policy changes, the defence-adjacent investment restrictions, the due diligence questions that every serious space investor should ask before committing capital to an Indian space company, and the India-Australia bilateral space investment framework.
Read Guide →Whether you are seeking IN-SPACe authorisation, structuring a launch contract, raising investment for your space startup, establishing a cross-border space joint venture, or advising on the international space law dimensions of a new project — our team responds within 24 hours.
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