To date, only the United States, Russia, China, Japan and the European Space Agency have successfully launched so-called "heavy" satellites weighing over three tonnes. The Indian space agency, sees the launch -- if successful -- as a major step towards its goal of becoming a leading player in the multi-billion dollar global satellite launch market. Karnik, the spokesperson for the Indian Space Research Organization. "The Indian space program is now completely indigenous." Cheap cost of labor and government support has meant that India can put satellites into space at 70% less than rival countries

Source: CNN June 05, 2017 11:15 UTC