Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], April 25 (ANI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, along with state Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, flagged off the flight hardware of Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 -- India's first privately developed orbital rocket.

The Chief Minister said the occasion marks a key milestone in Telangana's pursuit of becoming a global leader in the aerospace sector.

The flagging-off ceremony marked the rocket's formal departure to the launch site at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Skyroot Aerospace is set to make India's first private orbital launch attempt in the coming months.

Congratulating the Skyroot team on the occasion, the Chief Minister said it is a matter of great pride that the rocket has been completely designed and developed in Hyderabad.

'Skyroot has developed India's first privately built orbital rocket to carry satellites into space. The company launched its first rocket in 2022, and reaching the stage of orbital launch in such a short time is a remarkable achievement,' CM Reddy added.

He further highlighted that Telangana is currently ranked number one in India in the aerospace sector, adding that global players such as Boeing, Airbus, and Safran are already present in the state.

He said Telangana's aim is to become a global leader in aerospace by 2047, with aerospace as a key growth sector.

The Chief Minister stated that Telangana has performed exceptionally well in engineering exports since December 2023.

'As per Central Government data, Telangana recorded the highest growth of 117.9% in engineering exports among Indian states between 2023-24 and 2024-25. Aircraft parts and defence equipment have been the biggest contributors to this growth.'

He explained that the government is focusing on skilling youth for the aerospace sector through partnerships with global universities and industry leaders. With strong policies, infrastructure, talent, and a vibrant ecosystem, our government is committed to supporting companies like Skyroot, he added.

CM Reddy emphasised the need for skilling of talent as per industry needs, elaborating the various skilling initiatives being implemented by the state government through Young India Skills University (YISU), Advanced Technology Centres (ATCs) and the soon-to-be-upgraded Polytechnic colleges.

He revealed the government's plans to bring both the ATCs and the Polytechnic colleges under YISU's ambit to ensure that the curriculum is industry-driven and uniform across the courses.

'Our focus is on giving the best training to the trainers in these institutions. Tata Technologies is providing training to our trainers in ATCs across the state,' the CM said.

Responding to this, Skyroot Aerospace CEO and co-founder Pawan Kumar Chandana showed strong interest in collaborating with YISU. 'The idea of Skills University is unique and perfectly suits our talent needs. Skilling is the biggest problem we face and partnering with the YISU will be a great value add for us.'

The CM invited the Skyroot leadership to visit the ATCs in Mallepally, Hyderabad. He stressed the flexibility YISU offers in terms of dynamically changing the curriculum from time to time as per industry needs.

He also touched on the government's transformative plans to address gaps in the state's school education system. 'Despite spending Rs 1.08 lakh per student per year in government schools, the learning outcomes are not being met. We have chalked out a detailed plan to address this,' he added.

Special Secretary to CM B Ajith Reddy, Naga Bharath Daka, co-founder and COO, Skyroot and other officials were among those who attended the flagging off ceremony. (ANI)