Entrepreneur India 35 Under 35 2025: The Spacepreneur "We're bringing the cost of space access down to as little as USD 350-2000/kg. That's 1/8th the cost of SpaceX's Falcon 9 and 1/35th the global launch price average," Manu J. Nair Co-founder & CEO, Ethereal Exploration Guild

When Manu J. Nair sat down for dinner with two of his friends and colleagues in 2021, he didn't expect to lay the groundwork for a venture that could revolutionize access to space. But as plates were cleared and conversations deepened, a shared question sparked an extraordinary journey: "Why is access to space still a luxury?" That pivotal moment led to the creation of Ethereal Exploration Guild, where Nair, alongside co-founders Prashant and Shubhayu, is on a mission to catalyze civilizational progress.

Their flagship project - the Razor Crest Mk-1, the world's first fully reusable medium-lift rocket. With ground breaking technology and an ambitious vision, they're setting out to democratize space for emerging nations and the global economy alike. Manu J. Nair is no ordinary entrepreneur. A first-generation founder whose father served in the Indian Air Force, Nair's academic and professional journey reads like a space enthusiast's dream resume.

With a bachelor's in mechanical engineering and as an IIAS scientist-astronaut graduate in 2022 under Project PoSSUM (a formerly NASA aided research initiative involving only 12 candidates per class worldwide), every step of Manu's career has been a piece of the puzzle that led to the creation of the Guild. The Guild's journey began with a sin gular idea: absolute reusability in Launch Vehicles. Existing launch systems, even reusable ones, often rely on thermal protection systems to survive re-entry, but Manu and his cofounders envisioned something different. Their proprietary rocket engine feed cycle operates seamlessly in vacuum and atmospheric conditions while remaining unaffected by re-entry heat.

This novel approach allows their Razor Crest Mk-1 to return to Earth intact, drastically reducing costs and increasing launch frequency.

"We're bringing the cost of space access down to as little as USD 350-2000/kg," Nair explains. "That's 1/8th the cost of SpaceX's Falcon 9 and 1/35th the global launch price average."

The Razor Crest Mk-1 isn't just another rocket; it's a symbol of innovation: With a medium-lift capability of 24.8 tonnes to Lower Earth Orbit (LEO), it is India's first vertical takeoff and landing reusable launch vehicle housing the world's first RP-1/LOX expander cycle rocket engine. The time taken would be just 72–96 hours between launches and capable of 16 orbit injections in one launch.

Such features have already attracted USD 60 million worth of signed launch deals and a pipeline exceeding USD100 million. The past year was pivotal for Manu. The Guild manufactured India's first reusable rocket engine, secured USD 5 million in funding, and began establishing Base 001, India's largest private rocket engine test facility.

Accolades include the Aegis Graham Bell Award for innovation in space tech. Additionally, being selected for the Indo-US Space and Defense partnership program highlighted their global ambitions. Ethereal Exploration Guild plans to launch its first rocket, the Razor Crest Mk-1 Junior, in early 2027. This scaled-down version will mark the beginning of a journey toward full-scale launches and profitability by 2030.

With projected revenues of USD15.7 billion between 2025 and 2035, the Guild is poised to capture over 34 per cent of the global space launch market. While their technology takes center stage, their ethos is equally compelling.

As a company rooted in Bharat but thinking globally, Ethereal Exploration Guild epitomizes India's growing leadership in the space industry. Their vision aligns with the Department of Space's aim to capture 10 per cent of the global space market by 2030. For Nair and his team, the future is clear, "We aim to expand Bharat's foot print in the global space economy." The countdown to revolution has begun, and with it, a new era of exploration awaits.