ISRO's 'Bahubali' Rocket Draws Bids From L&T, Adani, JSW and Mahindra

At least six major Indian companies and consortiums — including Larsen & Toubro, Adani Group, JSW, and Mahindra Group — are considering partnerships with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to manufacture and commercially operate the LVM3 heavy-lift rocket, popularly known as Bahubali.

The initiative comes as India's space regulator IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre) moves to transfer end-to-end rocket technology to private industry — a landmark step in private space India and the broader Indian space economy.

What the Winning Bidder Gets: LVM3 Technology Transfer

The selected bidder will gain access to technology covering:

• Propulsion systems
• Avionics and navigation
• Manufacturing processes
• Launch operations

Access runs for a period of 42 months or two completed launches, whichever comes first — giving the private partner a defined window to industrialize the ISRO LVM3 Bahubali stack under IN-SPACe oversight.

₹25,000 Crore Opportunity: 60+ LVM3 Rockets

IN-SPACe chairman Pawan Kumar Goenka said the government has approved production of over 60 LVM3 rockets with private sector involvement over the next 12 to 14 years, representing a business opportunity worth around ₹25,000 crore.

The LVM3 — ISRO's most powerful operational launcher and the vehicle behind missions such as Chandrayaan-3 and commercial OneWeb deployments — is central to scaling India's heavy-lift capacity. Track the upcoming GSLV-F17 / EOS-05 mission page and other ISRO launches on our Space Launch Calendar.

India's Space Economy Target: $44 Billion by 2033

The move aligns with India's ambition to grow its space economy from $8.4 billion in 2022 to $44 billion by 2033. Expressions of interest are due shortly, with formal bidding expected in October.

For context on how state policy and private capital are reshaping the sector, see our coverage of Andhra Pradesh's Space City and India's private orbital launch push.

Who Is in the Running?

Reports indicate interest from heavyweight industrial players across infrastructure, energy, and automotive:

• Larsen & Toubro (L&T) — deep aerospace and heavy engineering experience
• Adani Group — expanding into strategic national infrastructure sectors
• JSW Group — industrial manufacturing scale
• Mahindra Group — engineering and mobility conglomerate

Together with additional consortiums, at least six bidders are evaluating participation in one of the largest IN-SPACe technology-transfer programs to date.

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