Space should be accessible to everyone — not just billionaires. India proved it.
From an IIT Madras lab to India's first private launchpad — Srinath Ravichandran built the world's first single-piece 3D-printed rocket engine and launched a new era for Indian spacetech. $72.8M raised. $500M valuation. 50 launches per year by 2028. The Agnikul Cosmos story.
Srinath Ravichandran
Co-Founder & CEO · Agnikul Cosmos
The Wall Street Trader Who Chose Rockets
Srinath Ravichandran did not take the obvious path. After engineering school, he spent years on Wall Street as a trader — the kind of career most people settle into for life. But the engineer in him refused to stay quiet.
In 2017, he returned to what he had always loved and co-founded Agnikul Cosmos inside IIT Madras, alongside Moin SPM, Prof. Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy, and Janardhana Raju.
"All the big startup stories in the US for space still seem to be driven by billionaires," Ravichandran said. "Here in India, none of us had that kind of money to start." That constraint became a design philosophy — build lean, build smart, build precisely.
The Engine That Changed Everything
India's private space story needed a technology bet that was genuinely defensible — something no one else had done. Agnikul chose 3D-printed rocket engines, not as a gimmick, but as a fundamental manufacturing philosophy.
In February 2021, the team test-fired Agnilet — the world's first single-piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket engine, manufactured in one continuous print with no assembled parts. It cut engine production time by 60% and enabled iterating hardware as fast as software.
The rocket built around Agnilet is called Agnibaan — 18 metres, two-stage, capable of placing 100 kg into 700 km orbit. Launchable from a fully mobile launchpad. From anywhere on Earth.
Four Failures, One Flight, A Factory
Before the breakthrough May 2024 launch, Agnikul endured four failed attempts. Each abort was public. Each one tested founder resolve and investor confidence.
When Agnibaan SOrTeD finally lifted off from India's first private launchpad at Sriharikota on May 30, 2024, it achieved three simultaneous world firsts — and proved India's private space era had truly arrived.
In November 2025, a ₹150 crore Series C closed at a $500M valuation. Tamil Nadu allocated 350 acres for an integrated space campus. The next target: 50 launches per year by 2028 — and full reusability within ten missions.
"We have consistently designed our vehicles to ensure that affordability and flexibility are never afterthoughts — they are built in from day one."
— Srinath Ravichandran, Co-Founder & CEO, Agnikul Cosmos
Company Timeline
- 2017
Agnikul Cosmos founded at IIT Madras Research Park by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, Prof. Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy & Janardhana Raju. ₹3 crore seed raised.
- 2021
World's first single-piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic engine, Agnilet, successfully test-fired. Framework agreement signed with Department of Space for ISRO facility access.
- 2022
Agnilet test-fired at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thumba. Construction begins on India's first private launchpad at Sriharikota.
- 2023
$26.7M Series B raised, taking total to $40M. 35 Letters of Intent signed with global satellite customers across India, Middle East, and Australia.
- May 2024
Historic Agnibaan SOrTeD launch — world's first 3D-printed engine flight, India's first semi-cryo launch, from India's first private launchpad at Sriharikota.
- Nov 2025
₹150 crore Series C closed at $500M valuation. Total funding: $72.8M. Tamil Nadu allocates 350 acres for integrated space campus. Reusability patent granted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the founders of Agnikul Cosmos?
Agnikul Cosmos was co-founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran (CEO), Moin SPM (COO), Prof. Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy, and Janardhana Raju — all at IIT Madras, Chennai. Ravichandran is a former Wall Street trader who left finance to build rockets.
What makes Agnilet unique?
Agnilet is the world's first single-piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket engine — manufactured in a single continuous print process with zero assembled parts. This approach cuts production time by ~60%, enables rapid iteration, and makes Agnikul's launches significantly cheaper and faster to prepare than traditional rocket manufacturing.
How does Agnikul compare to Skyroot Aerospace?
Both are Indian private launch startups, but with different approaches. Agnikul's core differentiator is the 3D-printed semi-cryogenic Agnilet engine and a fully mobile launchpad system that enables launch from any location. Skyroot uses solid and liquid engines and completed India's first private orbital attempt with Vikram-S in 2022. Agnikul's SOrTeD launch in May 2024 was the world's first flight with a 3D-printed engine.
Is Agnikul Cosmos profitable?
Agnikul is pre-profitability, investing heavily in vehicle development, manufacturing infrastructure, and launchpad construction. The company is backed by $72.8M in funding and 35+ Letters of Intent from global customers. Profitability is targeted as the company scales toward its 50 launches per year goal by 2028.