Cellestia Space.
Born from industrial and research relationships developed from Switzerland, the independent Indian company brings together aerospace engineering, microgravity science, life sciences, supply-chain expertise and commercial execution.
BENGALURU, INDIA / LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND - Cellestia Space Private Limited is being established in Bengaluru as an independent Indian space and deep-tech company created to move cross-border collaboration from introductions and agreements into engineering, hardware, qualified supply chains and commercially executable programmes.
The company grew out of industrial and research relationships developed through the Switzerland-based non-profit Space Systems Innovation Platform (SSIP), followed by direct engagement with Indian industry, research institutions and the country's expanding private space ecosystem. Cellestia is a separate commercial venture being established as an independent Indian company to turn those relationships into technology, industrial capability and market-facing programmes.
The founding team is led by Paulo Pinheiro, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, with Joshith Kayakkal, Co-Founder & Director; Debraj Dasgupta, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer; Dr. Bernd Rattenbacher, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer; and Rylan Coury, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer.
"International cooperation only matters when it produces something tangible," said Pinheiro. "Cellestia is the next step: moving from introductions and agreements into engineering, hardware, qualified supply chains, programmes and intellectual property. We want to build between these ecosystems, not simply connect them."
A NEW PHASE IN INDIA'S SPACE ECONOMY
India's space economy is entering a new phase. IN-SPACe's decadal strategy sets an ambition to grow the Indian space economy to USD 44 billion by 2033, with private-sector capability, industrial ecosystem development and international outreach among the priorities identified for growth.
ISRO is simultaneously expanding India's microgravity research ecosystem as part of its broader human-spaceflight roadmap. Its Indian Microgravity Experiments (IMEx-2026) programme spans fields including space biology and biotechnology, pharmacology and drug research, materials science, fluid physics and in-space manufacturing. The programme follows a staged path from laboratory feasibility to terrestrial microgravity validation and, for selected experiments, potential ISRO-enabled flight opportunities subject to safety, feasibility and platform constraints.
That staged approach is central to Cellestia's model. The company intends to work from terrestrial validation and hardware qualification through payload integration, industrialisation and, where scientifically and commercially justified, flight.
INDIA-SWITZERLAND COLLABORATION CREATES A WIDER CONTEXT
Cellestia's formation comes at a significant moment in India-Switzerland relations. During Swiss President Guy Parmelin's State Visit to India in October 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi identified health, clean energy and space among the priority areas for new joint research projects. The two countries are also strengthening their long-standing science and technology relationship through the Indo-Swiss Research Framework.
The wider economic environment is also changing. The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) between India and the European Free Trade Association - Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland - entered into force on 1 October 2025, providing a broader framework for trade, investment and deeper value-chain integration.
ENGINEERING AND EXECUTION AT THE CORE
Cellestia will initially focus on four connected areas: space-grade engineering and industrial supply chains; microgravity and space-enabled life sciences; payload and experimental hardware integration; and proprietary space technologies.
Its founding team reflects that model. Pinheiro brings more than two decades of aerospace engineering experience across satellite assembly, integration and testing, quality systems and advanced manufacturing. Kayakkal contributes local execution capability and knowledge of India's space ecosystem. Dasgupta brings international life-sciences and business-development experience. Rattenbacher contributes expertise in space biology, microgravity research and experimental systems. Coury combines biotechnology, supply-chain and operations experience with aerospace procurement experience at Beyond Gravity.
Together, the team spans the path from science and engineering to sourcing, qualification, operations, industrialisation and market access.
"India and Switzerland bring different but highly complementary strengths," Pinheiro added. "The opportunity is not the number of agreements that can be signed. It is the number of technologies, products and companies that can be built because those ecosystems decided to work together."
Although its roots lie in work initiated from Switzerland, Cellestia is being built as an Indian company headquartered in Bengaluru. Its aim is to develop capability locally, strengthen Indian engineering and supply chains, integrate specialist technologies from Switzerland and Europe where they add value, and compete internationally.
Born from Switzerland. Built in Bengaluru. Designed for the global space economy.
ABOUT CELLESTIA SPACE PRIVATE LIMITED
Cellestia Space Private Limited is an independent Indian space and deep-tech company being established in Bengaluru. The company develops and commercialises technologies and industrial programmes across space engineering, microgravity and space-enabled life sciences, payload and experimental hardware, advanced manufacturing and specialised international supply chains.
Engineering Life Beyond Earth.
NOTE TO EDITORS: References to public programmes, policy targets and bilateral frameworks are provided as market and policy context and do not imply endorsement of Cellestia Space by any government or public agency.
Official context: Prime Minister of India statement | Indo-Swiss Research Framework | IMEx-2026 | EFTA-India TEPA
