Agnikul Cosmos and NeevCloud plans to launch AI data-centre platform in low-Earth orbit

Chennai-based spacetech startup Agnikul Cosmos and AI cloud infrastructure firm NeevCloud have announced plans to build what they describe as India’s first privately led orbital AI data centre platform in low-Earth orbit.

A proof-of-concept mission is targeted before the end of this year, with commercial operations expected in 2027.

The collaboration will see Agnikul host NeevCloud’s AI-powered data centre on the extendable upper stage of its launch vehicle. Unlike conventional missions where the upper stage releases satellites and is discarded, Agnikul has developed patented technology to extend the life of the stage and repurpose it as an orbital hosting platform.

“We had built our rocket’s upper stage as an extendable platform,” said Srinath Ravichandran, cofounder and chief executive of Agnikul Cosmos. “What we are doing now is allowing that upper stage to host their AI data centre in space. It becomes a platform on which their systems will run.”

Ravichandran said the shared-hardware model, in which the rocket’s upper stage and the data centre operate as a single integrated system, could be a global first. “Every other space data centre concept we are hearing about keeps the rocket and the satellite as separate bodies. Here we are sharing hardware. That makes it more cost-efficient, more compact and more controlled,” he said.

The mission will launch from India, potentially from Sriharikota, subject to orbit requirements and regulatory approvals. Both companies described the project as an India-led initiative, with rocket and data centre hardware to be manufactured domestically.

The initial payload capacity is up to 500 kg. Of this, about 100 kg will account for the hosting platform. NeevCloud’s first satellite configuration is expected to weigh 300–350 kg and will include AI chips, storage and compute systems. The remaining allocation will be used for data centre modules. The satellite will operate at an altitude of 350–500 km in LEO, circling the Earth about 16 times a day.

The first configuration is expected to support around 500 high-performance AI chips. According to the company, a single satellite could handle up to 100,000 concurrent users or process about 10 million AI-driven calls per day, depending on workload intensity.

The first satellite is estimated to cost about $1 million, or roughly Rs 8 crore-Rs 10 crore, and will be funded internally. NeevCloud is not currently raising capital but expects additional funding will be required as deployment scales. The companies aim to expand to 30-40 satellites by 2027, depending on demand and performance. Longer term, plans include scaling to more than 600 orbital edge data centres by 2030 to create a continuous real-time inferencing network.

The orbital system will draw power from solar panels and store energy in onboard batteries.

The platform is aimed at latency-sensitive applications in defence, border security, maritime operations, oil and gas monitoring, disaster response, drones, robotics, autonomous systems, industrial automation and remote healthcare, especially in areas with limited terrestrial connectivity.