At DefSat 2026 in New Delhi, we speak with Rupesh Gandupalli, Co-Founder and CEO of XDLinx Space Labs, about the company’s rapid growth in satellite manufacturing and sovereign constellation development.
XDLinx is positioning itself as a space infrastructure platform company — designing and building both satellite bus platforms and advanced payloads. The company now offers five satellite bus platforms ranging from 10kg to 300kg, covering the majority of LEO mission requirements.
Our discussion covers:
- Development of multispectral, hyperspectral and infrared ISR payloads
- Current 1.5m resolution optical systems, scaling toward 70cm and 30cm
- Integration of SAR and optical payloads into a 190kg-class satellite launching on Transporter-16
- Deployment of the world’s first E-band payload in orbit to secure spectrum extension for a customer
- A contracted 15-satellite sovereign constellation (100kg class) over the next two years
- Partnerships across India and the UK, including collaboration with Scotland’s space ecosystem
With defence, ISR and civil applications converging, XDLinx sits squarely at the centre of the growing civil–military fusion trend highlighted at DefSat 2026.



