The Department of Space's budget for 2026-27 is ₹13,705.63 crore, about a quarter of one per cent of the central government's budgeted spending.
India's space spending is set each year in the Union Budget under Demand No. 95, Department of Space. For 2026-27 the budget estimate is ₹13,705.63 crore: ₹7,329.71 crore of day-to-day (revenue) spending and ₹6,375.92 crore of capital spending on long-lasting assets.
The revised figure for 2025-26 came in about ₹968 crore below what was budgeted. Budgets are plans, and actual spending can come in lower.
Capital spending, on things that last such as rockets, satellites and facilities, was ₹4,025.47 crore in 2024-25. The plan for 2026-27 is ₹6,375.92 crore.
About three-quarters goes to 'Space Technology' (₹10,397.06 crore in 2026-27). This covers ISRO's rocket, propulsion, satellite, launch, tracking and human spaceflight centres, and their launch vehicle and satellite projects. It also funds IN-SPACe's schemes for private companies.
The next largest heads are 'Space Applications' (₹1,725.06 crore) for SAC, NRSC and IIRS, and 'INSAT Satellite Systems' (₹569.76 crore). Research bodies such as PRL, NARL, NE-SAC and IIST get ₹480.56 crore together. 'Space Sciences' gets ₹130.93 crore and international cooperation ₹8.43 crore. NSIL also plans to invest ₹1,403 crore from its own resources.
Big projects are approved for their whole life, not one year. The expanded Gaganyaan and space station programme, for example, has a total of ₹20,193 crore spread across several years.
Worked example: the Mars Orbiter Mission cost ₹450 crore in total. That is 450 ÷ 13,705.63 ≈ 3.3% of a single year's Department of Space budget today.
Each mission on the timeline was paid for from yearly budgets like these; compare big missions with the ₹13,705 crore yearly total. Browse ISRO's missions
Share of the Union Budget. The Expenditure Budget 2026-27 totals ₹53,47,314.81 crore across all demands. The Department of Space's share is 13,705.63 ÷ 53,47,314.81 ≈ 0.256%, about one rupee in every 390.
How the 2026-27 total adds up.
Sum: 393.82 + 12,822.81 + 480.56 + 8.44 = ₹13,705.63 crore.
Budget versus spending. For 2025-26 the revised estimate (₹12,448.60 crore) was 7.2% below the budget estimate (₹13,416.20 crore). Comparing 2026-27's budget with 2024-25's actual spending shows a 25% rise (13,705.63 ÷ 10,949.40 ≈ 1.25). Comparing budget with budget shows only about 2% (13,705.63 ÷ 13,416.20 ≈ 1.022). Always check which two numbers a headline compares.
Mission costs in context. Chandrayaan-2's approved project cost was ₹603 crore, excluding launch, and its GSLV Mk III rocket cost ₹367 crore, so about ₹970 crore together. That is about 7% of one year's Department of Space budget today.
₹13,705.63 crore, of which ₹7,329.71 crore is revenue spending and ₹6,375.92 crore is capital spending.
'Space Technology', at ₹10,397.06 crore in 2026-27, which funds ISRO's rocket, satellite, launch and tracking centres and their projects.
The budget estimate is the amount planned at the start of the year; the revised estimate updates it later in the year. For the Department of Space in 2025-26 the revised estimate was about ₹968 crore lower.