ICEYE, the Finland-based space intelligence firm, plans to establish its first satellite manufacturing facility in India within the next year, marking the company’s debut production hub in the Asia-Pacific region amid rising global demand for space-driven defence and surveillance technologies.
The proposed facility will manufacture small satellites designed for defence intelligence, surveillance operations and environmental monitoring, according to ICEYE CEO and co-founder Rafal Modrzewski.
The Indian unit will complement ICEYE’s existing manufacturing operations in Europe and the United States and is expected to strengthen India’s role within the company’s expanding global production network. Modrzewski said India’s fast-growing space and defence ecosystem made it an ideal location for ICEYE’s expansion into the Asia-Pacific region.
“There is a strong alignment between what India needs and what we offer,” he said, highlighting increased defence spending and the growing global reliance on space-based intelligence systems. He noted that recent geopolitical conflicts, particularly the Russia-Ukraine War, have reinforced the importance of satellite assets as a primary source of military and strategic intelligence.
ICEYE specialises in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites capable of delivering high-resolution imagery regardless of weather conditions or time of day. The company currently operates what it describes as the world’s most advanced constellation of SAR satellites.
According to Modrzewski, ICEYE intends to build its supply chain and manufacturing ecosystem in India over the next six to 12 months.
The company aims to produce approximately 10 satellites during the first year of operations before increasing annual output to between 20 and 40 satellites in later phases.
Investment in the facility is expected to amount to “tens of millions of dollars”, although final figures are still being worked out. At present, ICEYE manufactures around 50 satellites annually across its global operations and plans to increase total production to more than 100 satellites per year by 2028.
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The satellites produced in India will serve both domestic requirements and international customers. The company clarified that its India strategy would not depend solely on government procurement and that it intends to establish a long-term operational presence in the country.
ICEYE is also exploring collaborations with Indian Space Research Organisation, private launch service providers, electronics manufacturers and defence technology companies, including firms working on drone systems and integrated defence solutions.
Founded in Finland, ICEYE currently operates in multiple countries including Poland, Spain, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Greece and the United States, employing more than 1,000 people worldwide. The company has generated nearly USD 280 million in revenue this year and is targeting a doubling of its earnings.
Last week, ICEYE delivered Poland’s sovereign radar satellite reconnaissance system, known as MikroSAR, in less than 12 months — a timeline regarded among the fastest operational satellite deployments globally.
Each SAR satellite in ICEYE’s constellation is capable of capturing imagery with resolutions as precise as 25 centimetres, enabling highly detailed reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering operations.
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