Indian space and defence technology startup Sisir Radar has raised USD 7 million in Series A funding, led by 360 ONE Asset, with participation from Shastra VC. The funding will support the launch of India’s first privately developed L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite, scheduled for 2026.
Designed, engineered, and built entirely in India, the satellite will deliver high-resolution, all-weather imagery for applications spanning national security, environmental monitoring, urban planning, and disaster management.
Sisir Radar has developed what it claims is the world’s highest-resolution L- and P-band SAR, and has won two Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) challenges to build specialised SAR satellites for the Indian Air Force. The company is also working with key industrial stakeholders across defence and allied sectors to address critical surveillance and detection needs.
Synthetic Aperture Radar is an advanced remote-sensing technology capable of delivering continuous, high-resolution imagery regardless of cloud cover, darkness, smoke, or terrain. Sisir Radar is developing next-generation SAR systems deployable across spaceborne and airborne platforms, enabling round-the-clock situational awareness.
Founded by Dr Tapan Misra, the former Director of ISRO’s Space Applications Centre and the architect of ISRO’s first SAR mission, RISAT, Sisir Radar brings decades of space systems expertise into the private sector. Dr Misra’s four-decade tenure at ISRO underpins the company’s focus on building sovereign, high-performance radar capabilities for India.
Explaining the relevance of L- and P-band SAR for India, Dr Misra said that while global private players largely focus on X-band SAR, India’s geographical and operational needs demand imaging that can penetrate clouds and vegetation.
“Lower frequencies like L and P bands are essential for meaningful military and civilian applications, though achieving high resolution in these bands is technically challenging. This is precisely what we have solved,” he said, adding that Sisir Radar’s technology places it on par with leading global space agencies.
The upcoming satellite is expected to deliver real-time, high-resolution imagery through dense foliage, adverse weather, and complete darkness, positioning India within the global market for privately launched SAR satellites.
The Series A round was anchored by 360 ONE Asset’s private equity and venture capital arm, with Shastra VC, the company’s seed-stage investor, also participating.
Shastra VC Managing Partner Vasant Rao described Sisir Radar as a deep-tech venture generating original IP with world-leading performance. He noted that the company’s L- and P-band SAR systems redefine global benchmarks at their price-performance envelope.
Sisir Radar’s proprietary technology enables 0.75-metre resolution in L-band SAR and 2.5-metre resolution in P-band SAR, a performance level it claims is ten times better than prevailing global standards. These longer wavelengths offer both foliage penetration and ground penetration, making them particularly valuable for India’s terrain and climate conditions.
Globally, space-based SAR has emerged as strategic infrastructure for governments and enterprises, enabling persistent monitoring of borders, assets, and environments. For India—where cloud cover, monsoons, and dense vegetation are common—advanced L- and P-band SAR is increasingly seen as a strategic necessity for defence, disaster response, agriculture, and climate resilience.
