India and Sweden Unite for 2028 Venus Mission 'Shukrayaan'

India and Sweden have officially partnered on ISRO’s upcoming Venus mission “Shukrayaan,” with Sweden contributing a key scientific instrument — the Venusian Neutrals Analyser (VNA) — to study how solar winds interact with Venus’s atmosphere. The mission is scheduled for launch on 29 March 2028 aboard India’s LVM‑3 rocket.

For an uninitiated, the Shukrayaan is ISRO’s first dedicated mission to Venus, planned for launch on 29 March 2028 aboard the LVM‑3 rocket. It will orbit Venus to study its atmosphere, surface, and solar wind interactions, with international contributions from Sweden and Russia.

Mission Overview

• Mission Name: Shukrayaan (Sanskrit for “Venus Craft”)
• Launch Date: 29 March 2028
• Rocket: ISRO’s LVM‑3
• Journey Duration: ~112 days to reach Venus
• Orbit: Elliptical Venusian orbit (500 km periapsis, 60,000 km apoapsis)
• Budget: ₹1,236 crore (approved in 2024)
• Payloads: 19 instruments (Indian + international contributions)

Sweden’s Contribution

• Instrument: Venusian Neutrals Analyser (VNA)
• Developer: Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF)
• Purpose: Study solar wind interactions with Venus’s upper atmosphere and exosphere
• Integrated into India’s VISWAS package
• Impact: Explains Venus’s atmospheric loss and greenhouse evolution

International Collaboration

• Russia: VIRAL instrument (Venus Infrared Atmospheric Gases Linker)
• Norway: MoU with ISRO for space and climate research
• India–Sweden Strategic Context: Announced during PM Modi’s Gothenburg visit in May 2026

Scientific Goals

• Study Venus’s dense atmosphere, volcanic surface, and weather systems
• Investigate super‑rotating clouds
• Explore past conditions for liquid water
• Provide insights into planetary climate evolution

Quick Comparison: India–Sweden Roles in Shukrayaan

India (ISRO)	Sweden (IRF)
Mission design, spacecraft, launch via LVM‑3	Venusian Neutrals Analyser (VNA)
19 payloads including VISWAS plasma package	Studies solar wind–atmosphere interactions
Focus on atmosphere, surface, clouds, climate	Builds on Indo‑Swedish space ties
Budget ₹1,236 crore, approved 2024	Instrument integrated into Indian payload system

Challenges Ahead 

• Extreme conditions: Venus’s surface reaches 460°C with sulphuric acid clouds
• Orbital insertion requires precise maneuvering
• International coordination for multi‑country payload integration

ISRO has built extensive international partnerships in space exploration — from joint missions with NASA and CNES to new collaborations with Sweden, Norway, and Russia. These projects span planetary science, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and human spaceflight.  

Shukrayaan Mission Snapshot

• Name: Shukrayaan (Venus Orbiter Mission)
• Launch Date: 29 March 2028
• Rocket: LVM‑3 (same launcher as Chandrayaan‑3)
• Journey Duration: ~112 days to reach Venus orbit
• Orbital Insertion: 19 July 2028 (planned)
• Orbit: Elliptical (500 km periapsis, 60,000 km apoapsis)
• Mission Duration: 4 years (planned)
• Mass: ~2,500 kg spacecraft, ~100 kg payload capacity
• Power: 500 watts for instruments

Scientific Objectives

• Atmosphere: Study chemistry, dynamics, and composition of Venus’s dense atmosphere
• Surface: Map volcanic hotspots, lava flows, and stratigraphy using radar
• Solar Interaction: Examine solar wind effects on Venus’s ionosphere
• Comparative Planetology: Understand why Venus evolved into a hostile greenhouse world
• Life Indicators: Re‑examine claims of phosphine gas in Venus’s clouds

📊 Key Facts Table

Aspect	Details
Launch Vehicle	LVM‑3
Launch Date	29 March 2028
Orbit	500 km × 60,000 km elliptical
Mission Duration	4 years
Payloads	19 instruments (India + international)
Partners	Sweden (VNA), Russia (VIRAL)
Goals	Atmosphere, surface, solar wind, comparative planetology

India–Sweden Cleantech Accelerator Hosts 27th Workshop in Hyderabad

The India–Sweden Innovations Accelerator (ISIA) successfully hosted its 27th workshop with the Swedish cleantech delegation in Hyderabad today, bringing together key industry leaders, technology providers, and sustainability experts to accelerate the deployment of innovative clean technologies in India.

The India–Sweden Innovations Accelerator (ISIA) is Sweden’s flagship bilateral initiative with India to drive cleantech and green energy collaborations. Supported by the Swedish Energy Agency and implemented in partnership with Business Sweden and CII–Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre, the program facilitates the entry of Swedish cleantech companies into India while enabling Indian industries to adopt globally proven sustainable technologies and deploy these at scale.

The 27th workshops in Hyderabad was organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) through the CII–Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (CII-GBC), in collaboration with the Swedish Energy Agency and Business Sweden.

The event witnessed participation from 40 leading Indian companies, along with 7 leading Swedish cleantech companies, showcasing cutting-edge solutions across sectors such as energy efficiency, smart grids, IoT-enabled systems, clean mobility, advanced industrial material, resource optimization and many more.

Since its inception, the ISIA program has emerged as a cornerstone of bilateral cleantech collaboration, having:

• Introduced 80+ advanced clean technologies to the Indian market
• Enabled 250+ pilot and commercial projects across sectors
• Facilitated 50+ industry partnerships
• Supported the establishment of 7 local subsidiaries. 
• Engaged with over 1,500 Indian stakeholders

The workshop commenced with a welcome address by Mr. Gaurav Maheswari, Vice Chairman, CII Telangana and Managing Director, Signode India Limited, who emphasized that the global sustainability agenda has shifted decisively from commitments to implementation. He highlighted the growing demand within Indian industry for scalable, cost-effective, and deployable solutions to achieve decarbonization goals.

In the theme address, Mr. Pawan Tahlani, Head – New Delhi, Business Sweden, underlined the strong alignment between India’s rapidly growing energy needs and Sweden’s strengths in clean technologies, calling for deeper industry collaboration to accelerate the green transition. Highlighting India and Sweden’s shared vision for a Green Future leading opportunity in India’s energy transition and how this program can serve as a collaboration model for accelerating the transition.

Mr. Edgar Darbinyan, representing the Swedish Energy Agency, reinforced Sweden’s commitment to fostering international partnerships that enable large-scale deployment of sustainable technologies. Emphasised on how Swedish Energy Agency helps in promoting Cleantech Swedish companies and help India in its journey to energy transition through bilateral collaboration programs like ISIA and Lead IT 2.0 program.

In the concluding remarks, Mr. K. Muralikrishnan, Principal Counsellor, CII-Green Business Centre, emphasized that the transition to sustainability now requires execution at scale, supported by proven technologies and strong industry partnerships. He encouraged participants to translate discussions into actionable collaborations and pilot deployments.

The workshop featured a series of technical presentations from companies including Candela, ECAPS, Lixea, Waltero, Plexigrid and Affectus. The event also showcased success cases, including industry collaborations such as Krahn Specialty Fluids & Metalex Cryogenics Limited, followed by interactive sessions and discussions. Swedish companies presented innovative solutions tailored to India’s industrial and energy transition needs.

A key highlight of the event was the focused B2B meetings, enabling direct engagement between Swedish technology providers and Indian industry representatives to explore pilot projects, partnerships, and long-term collaborations. The ISIA platform continues to play a pivotal role in bridging global innovation with India’s industrial ecosystem, reinforcing both nations’ shared commitment to sustainable growth, industrial decarbonization, and a low-carbon future.