BW Online BureauNov 04, 2026
Ahmed said Indian investors, including the founders, collectively hold the largest share by percentage, followed by investors from Singapore, the UK and the US, no international investor has unilateral control over the company beyond customary investor protections
Bengaluru-based space-tech startup Pixxel’s founder and CEO Awais Ahmed has defended the company’s Indian ownership and control following criticism over the establishment of its US subsidiary, Pixxel Federal.
In a detailed statement posted on X on November 2, Ahmed said Pixxel remains headquartered, owned, managed and controlled in India. He said the company’s primary Indian entity was incorporated in 2018, before its international entities, and is not a subsidiary of a US-based company.
Ahmed clarified that Pixxel Federal will operate independently and its board and CEO will have authority only over the US subsidiary. The Indian entity will continue handling the company’s Indian government, space and defence programmes.
Addressing the company’s shareholding, Ahmed said Indian investors, including the founders, collectively hold the largest share by percentage, followed by investors from Singapore, the UK and the US. He added that no international investor has unilateral control over the company beyond customary investor protections.
Ahmed also addressed concerns over intellectual property and national security. He said technology developed for Indian government projects remains under Indian ownership and control, with the programmes executed through Indian entities and governed by Indian laws. He added that the company plans to establish subsidiaries in other countries as it expands internationally.
The controversy began after Pixxel announced Pixxel Federal on October 29 to pursue contracts with US civilian, defence and intelligence agencies. The subsidiary will offer Earth observation technology, satellite mission systems and geospatial intelligence services to American government customers.
The debate also drew a response from Bengaluru-based spacetech startup GalaxEye. In a post on X on November 1, the company highlighted its decision to remain headquartered in India and operate through a single corporate entity. It said all its contracts and bids were submitted through GalaxEye, adding that it had chosen to maintain a simple corporate structure and governance system.
Ahmed’s response came a day later, following criticism of Pixxel’s international corporate structure. He said the company intends to build a global space business rooted in Indian engineering and plans to go public in India in the coming years, when its complete corporate structure will be disclosed.
Founded by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, Pixxel develops hyperspectral imaging satellites that capture data across multiple narrow wavelength bands, providing information that conventional satellite imagery may not capture.
The company has also secured engagements with NASA and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). In September 2026, Pixxel raised USD 100 million in a Series C funding round co-led by Temasek and Seraphim, taking its total funding to approximately USD 195 million.
In India, a Pixxel-led consortium is developing a 12-satellite Earth observation constellation under a public-private initiative with IN-SPACe.
