Mumbai, July 19 -- India on Saturday became the third country in the world with private orbital launch capability after Vikram-1 rocket's successful maiden flight from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. The launch vehicle, indigenously developed by a 400-member team at Skyroot Aerospace, lifted off at 12.05pm. Less than 20 minutes later, Vikram-1 injected four technology demonstration payloads at an altitude of 450km in the earth's lower orbit. The seven-storey, multi-stage vehicle is designed to carry satellites of up to 350kg to low-earth orbit, built with an all-carbon composite structure and in-house propulsion - including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel boosters. The mission matters for a $600 billion global space industry in which India's $8 billion share is targeted to grow to $44 billion by 2032. India is home to more than 400 space start-ups since the 2020 sector reforms. P8...