Chennai, June 21 -- The Indian Space Association (ISpA) on Saturday welcomed the HAL foraying into the commercial launch segment by winning the bid for manufacturing SSLVs.

In a statement here, ISpA Director General Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (retd) said this is a pivotal moment for the Indian private space industry as it moves towards a five-fold expansion, aiming to capture a larger share of the USD 44 billion global launch market.

"We congratulate HAL on winning the historic bid to manufacture and commercialize India's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)", he said.

This landmark achievement marks a transformative step in the government's vision to open the space sector to private enterprise and innovation, he said.

HAL's entry into t...