Indian Startup Powers Satellites With Water Propulsion

Two engineers walked out of India's top research university in 2015 with a bold idea: what if satellites could move through space using water instead of toxic chemicals?

Rohan Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam founded Bellatrix Aerospace at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru to solve one of spaceflight's messiest problems. For decades, satellites relied on hydrazine, a chemical propellant so dangerous it requires hazmat suits to handle and poses serious environmental risks.

With thousands of new satellites headed to orbit in coming years, the industry desperately needed something better. Bellatrix set out to build it.

The startup developed Jal, a thruster that uses simple water as fuel. It's the world's first privately built plasma propulsion system to achieve this, and it actually works better than traditional systems in key ways: it's lighter, doesn't corrode, and lasts significantly longer in the harsh conditions of space.

Bellatrix didn't stop there. The company built an entire portfolio of propulsion technologies, each solving different satellite needs. Rudra delivers the same power as hydrazine without the toxicity. Fingernail fits on a fingertip for tiny satellites. Arka extends operational life for larger missions.

In October 2024, Bellatrix successfully fired its green propulsion system three times in actual orbit, proving the technology works beyond the lab. That validation caught attention: ISRO, India's space agency, partnered with Bellatrix for joint electric propulsion development, making it the only Indian startup to earn that distinction.

The momentum kept building. Bellatrix recently signed a contract with NewSpace India Limited to integrate its Pushpak orbital transfer vehicle into official launch missions. The company closed $20 million in Series B funding and now operates across India and the United States with a multimillion-dollar order backlog.

The Ripple Effect

Bellatrix's success signals a broader transformation in India's space sector. Startups are now building technologies that once belonged exclusively to national space programs, supported by research universities climbing global rankings and policy reforms encouraging deep tech innovation.

The company's origin at IISc wasn't just symbolic. The institute provided the research environment, technical rigor, and institutional connections that made it possible to develop flight-ready space technology from scratch. That ecosystem is exactly what India's Bharat Innovates 2026 initiative aims to amplify, connecting deep-tech founders with global investors and partners.

Bellatrix has cut manufacturing time to under six months, positioning itself to meet surging satellite demand. From a campus lab to orbit in less than a decade, the startup is proving India can compete in the most advanced corners of the space economy.

What started as two graduate students rethinking rocket fuel has become a company replacing hazardous chemicals with water, one satellite at a time.