Indian space tech startups are rewriting India’s history in space technology. Investor interest in the segment took an all-time surge after the government opened up the industry for private entities. Founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM, Agnikul Cosmos is a leading startup in the space sector. It builds low-cost launch vehicles for small satellites. Agnikul Cosmos is also the first space tech startup to ink an agreement with ISRO. The startup’s flagship product ‘Agnibaan’ is designed to carry payloads of up to 100 kilograms to lower orbit. The startup is incubated at IIT Madras.
It is noteworthy that the main divisions of Agnikul Cosmos – the engineering and design teams – are led by three young women who find ‘sky as the limit.’ Ground testing and production teams are led by Uma Maheshwari, Saraniya P. and Arushi Choudhary. This indicates the increasing representation of women in engineering and design divisions of space tech startups.
Hailing from Chennai, Uma Maheshwari is the Director of Agnilet Engine Testing Mission. Bachelor in Aeronautics from the Madras Institute of Technology, she received training from the Defense Research and Development Laboratory. Uma Maheshwari led the world’s first single-piece 3D printed rocket engine firing.
Agnibaan Vehicle Design is led by Saraniya, a native of Port Blair. She holds a Masters Degree in Ocean Technology from IIT Madras. A system engineer by profession, Saraniya also oversaw the construction of the Compressive Overhauled Pressure Vessel (COPV). This is Agnikul‘s first fully developed product. Saraniya manages all areas of vehicle design.
Arushi Chaudhary is in charge of Agnibaan Avionics Systems Engineering. She graduated from BML Munjal University in Gurugram in Electronics & Communication and joined Agnikul Cosmos. An admirer of Kalpana Chawla, Aarushi’s dream is to fly to Mars.
Agnikul Cosmos co-founder Srinath, who indulged in the project inspired by his mother who is a physics teacher, says women can bring a different perspective to problem solving and management. These ‘women gems’, who play an important role in the Agnikul Cosmos, prove his belief right.
