Visakhapatnam, November 2026 : Astrobase Space Technologies on Thursday announced an investment of Rs 800 crore in Andhra Pradesh to expand its rocket testing and launch vehicle development infrastructure, strengthening the state's role in India's growing private space sector.
The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board during the 31st CII Partnership Summit 2026 in Visakhapatnam. The investment will support the expansion of its existing rocket engine testing facility at Thimmasamudram in Sri Sathya Sai district.
Under the proposed expansion, Astrobase will add 339 acres to its current facility, taking its total area to approximately 360 acres from the existing 22 acres. The expanded infrastructure will support critical testing programmes and the development of advanced launch vehicle technologies.
Astrobase Space Technologies CEO and Co-founder Neeraj Khandelwal said the project marked a significant milestone in the company's efforts to develop advanced space transportation capabilities in India.
The expanded facility will enable static hot-fire tests and stage-level hop tests, while accelerating the development of reusable launch vehicle technologies, he said. Khandelwal added that although India had demonstrated considerable capabilities in space exploration and technology, the next challenge was to transport payloads into space more frequently, reliably and at scale.
The project is expected to generate around 500 direct jobs and nearly 1,000 indirect employment opportunities in the region, providing a boost to local industry and the supporting ecosystem.
The announcement follows Astrobase's plan to invest Rs 500 crore in Karnataka to establish a dedicated manufacturing facility in Bengaluru. The proposed unit will house advanced additive manufacturing and fabrication infrastructure, non-destructive testing and quality inspection facilities, as well as engine and stage assembly capabilities.
The Bengaluru facility will support the development of the company's Everest engine and AB220 medium-lift launch vehicle programme.
The two investment announcements reflect Astrobase's plans to expand its manufacturing, testing and launch vehicle development capabilities across multiple locations.
The Rs 800-crore Andhra Pradesh investment was announced during the two-day 31st CII Partnership Summit, being held in Visakhapatnam on November 12 and 13. Organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the summit is hosted by the Andhra Pradesh government.
The summit is expected to facilitate investment proposals worth up to Rs 11 lakh crore and generate around 2.5 lakh jobs across sectors.
