Astrophel Aerospace, a space tech startup from Pune, has developed an indigenous cryogenic pump designed to power its upcoming Astra C1 rocket engine. The pump, capable of spinning at 25,000 revolutions per minute, is undergoing testing at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) facilities. 

The company plans to upgrade it into a turbopump for integration into its first and second stage engines by late 2026.

Astrophel announced the development, stating that it positions the firm among the first private Indian startups to build an in-house cryogenic pump. “This milestone is a testament to how India can indigenously develop advanced propulsion technologies at a fraction of global costs,” Suyash Bafna, co-founder of Astrophel Aerospace, said.

The company recently raised ₹6.84 crore (~$800,000) in a pre-seed funding round to develop a reusable semi-cryogenic launch vehicle and missile-grade guidance systems.

Testing and Global Plans

The company is also preparing to sign a memorandum of understanding with a US-based partner (unnamed them as of now) and exploring global collaborations for export opportunities at the sub-component level. These efforts aim to meet rising demand in both the space sector and industries such as oil and gas, which use cryogenic liquids.

According to Astrophel, the pump, though the size of a one-litre bottle, produces 100 to 150 horsepower, equivalent to a family car. The turbopump version will scale this to 500 to 600 horsepower for larger launch vehicles. 

“ISRO’s certification will validate not just our pump, but India’s ability to innovate world-class space hardware with global export opportunities,” Bafna added.

Astrophel’s announcement comes as India works to expand its space economy from $8.4 billion in 2022 to $44 billion by 2033, aiming to capture 8% of the global market. 

“This milestone represents the culmination of years of frugal engineering and is a stepping stone toward India’s first privately developed gas generator cycle,” Immanuel Louis, co-founder of Astrophel Aerospace, said.

The post Pune-Based Astrophel Aerospace Develops Indigenous Cryogenic Pump for Rocket Engines appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

Source link

Source link

On-demand technologies such as public cloud, software-as-a-service (SaaS) and generative AI are reshaping digital strategies as companies pursue innovation, agility and competitive advantage, according to a report from the Capgemini Research Institute. 

However, the report highlighted that spiralling costs, fragmented management and governance gaps are eroding value, raising questions over the sustainability of returns.

The study, titled ‘The On-Demand Tech Paradox: Balancing Speed and Spend’, surveyed 1,000 executives from companies with annual revenues above $1 billion across 12 industries and 14 countries.

It found that nearly eight in 10 organisations see on-demand technologies as critical to growth, but struggle to rein in spending.

Three-quarters exceeded their public cloud budgets by an average of 10%, while 68% overspent on generative AI and 52% on SaaS, the report revealed. 

Inflationary pressures, surging AI adoption and mounting digital infrastructure needs were cited as key drivers. Meanwhile, underutilised resources, decentralised procurement and unmanaged purchases, particularly in SaaS, added to the inefficiencies. 
Nearly all executives admitted to bypassing IT departments for technology acquisitions, heightening costs and security risks.

While IT budgets are set to expand, with on-demand tech’s share expected to rise from 29% to 41% in the next year, the study shows that a few companies are capturing expected returns. 

Only 29% realised projected SaaS savings, 33% reported improved cloud service quality, while 38% achieved faster innovation with generative AI.

Capgemini said most organisations are at an early stage of financial operations (FinOps) maturity. 

Although three-quarters have or plan to establish FinOps teams, their scope remains narrow. Just 2% oversee cloud, SaaS and generative AI holistically and less than half influence business decisions.

“While on-demand technology expenses are projected to double over the next three to four years, organisations must find a way to gain transparency and control over costs while elevating value. Those that align their cloud strategy with their overall business goals are well-positioned to harness this opportunity,” Karine Brunet, CEO of Capgemini’s Cloud Infrastructure Services, said in the statement.

“By designing scalable, modular, cloud-native and frugal architecture, they are set to drive sustainable value through smarter FinOps, integrated governance, and AI-driven automation.”

Beyond financial waste, more than half of the surveyed organisations said the poor use of on-demand tech drives excess energy consumption and emissions. 

Yet, only 36% have sustainability built into FinOps, despite opportunities to reduce both costs and carbon through energy-efficient architectures and workload optimisation.

The post ‘On-demand Tech Fuels Growth, but Rising Costs Threaten Gains for Enterprises’  appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

Source link