New Delhi, Dec. 25 -- Kudos to Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on its launch of a satellite weighing more than six tonnes. Isro used its most capable launch vehicle, GSLV Mark 3, now renamed Launch Vehicle Mark 3, for the task.

It was a telecom orbiter, designed to facilitate connectivity, for an American firm taken on as a client. Such commercial launches are just one aspect of India's space success driven by a government-funded programme run by Isro that has scientific and strategic aims as well.

Its placing of such a heavy satellite in low earth orbit (LEO) affirms Isro's global role as a low-cost competitor for high-end services. Competition within the country, however, is set to multiply. In 2020, India opened its space s...