BITS Pilani-incubated startup Abyom hits milestone; conducts 250 hot-fire tests on rocket engines in Hyderabad

Hyderabad-based startup Abyom SpaceTech has conducted over 250 rocket engine hot-fire tests and opened a $2.5 million fundraising round. Incubated at BITS Pilani Hyderabad, it is developing India’s first VTVL demonstrator and modular rocket test facility for space and defence

Hyderabad: Abyom SpaceTech and Defence, a startup incubated at the BITS Pilani Hyderabad campus, which is pushing the boundaries of reusable launch vehicles, has achieved a major milestone with over 250 successful hot-fire tests being conducted on rocket engines.

These tests were carried out across two prototype rocket engines – the 1.5kN BSE-I and 2.5kN BSE-II – at the company’s mobile test facility established in Hyderabad.

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Building on this foundation, the company that pioneers reusable launch systems and advanced space infrastructure, is now transitioning from lab-scale prototypes to commercialisation. In fact, it has opened a $2.5 million fundraising round to scale its operations, expand test facilities, and advance its roadmap toward automated vertical take-off and landing demonstrators.

As part of the next phase of development, the company has focused on flight demonstrators, including a vertical take-off and landing (VTVL) prototype, which showcases fully autonomous launch and recovery.

“With these technologies, we aim to cut per-launch costs significantly and introduce India’s first VTVL demonstrator. This is our leap toward affordable, reusable, and sustainable space access,” said Jainul Abedin, Founder & CEO, Abyom SpaceTech and Defence Pvt Ltd.

Further, Abyom has filed a patent for its Rocket Engine Test Facility established inside the BITS Pilani Hyderabad campus. The facility is a first-of-its-kind modular and mobile test infrastructure designed for rapid deployment and scalable propulsion testing.

It has been designed for both civil rocket development and defence propulsion research, as well as catering to upcoming propulsion groups and academia.

The company has already attracted grant support and institutional partnerships worth more than $200,000 and $500,000 in equity, which are being directed toward the development of its Rocket Engine Test Facility, Spark Torch Igniter, and Engine Control System.

The Engine Control System is a modular platform adaptable for rockets, missiles and advanced propulsion systems, while Spark Torch Ignition System is a high-reliability igniter suitable for reusable space engines and defence-grade propulsion units.

“By positioning these systems as adaptable across domains, we are addressing two strategic needs – affordable access to space and strengthening national defence capabilities,” he added.