India began developing its own rockets in the early years of its space program, driven by the vision and efforts of visionary scientists and leaders. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India's premier space agency, embarked on its rocket development journey with the establishment of the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1963. Since then, India has made significant progress in indigenous rocket development, leading to the successful launch of various satellite missions.

In the early days, India's rocket development efforts were primarily focused on sounding rockets, which are small-scale rockets used for atmospheric research and data collection. The first sounding rocket, Nike-Apache, was launched from TERLS in 1963. This marked India's entry into the field of rocketry and laid the foundation for future endeavors.

In the 1970s, ISRO initiated the Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) program to develop an indigenous launch vehicle capable of placing satellites into orbit. The SLV-3, India's first experimental satellite launch vehicle, had its inaugural launch in 1979. Although the initial launches faced some challenges, the fourth launch of SLV-3 in 1983 successfully placed the Rohini satellite into orbit, making India the sixth country to achieve satellite launch capability.

Building upon the success of the SLV-3, ISRO launched the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) program in the 1980s. The ASLV was a five-stage solid-fueled rocket designed to launch 150-kg class satellites into low Earth orbit. The ASLV made four developmental flights between 1987 and 1994, with two of them achieving successful satellite deployments.

In the 1990s, ISRO initiated the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) program, aiming to develop a vehicle capable of launching heavier communication satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The GSLV utilized both solid and liquid propellant stages. After some initial setbacks, the GSLV achieved its first successful launch in 2001, placing the GSAT-1 satellite into orbit.

Building upon the success of the GSLV, ISRO further developed the GSLV Mark II and GSLV Mark III variants. The GSLV Mark II was designed to launch 2-ton class satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbit, while the GSLV Mark III, also known as the LVM3, aimed to launch heavier payloads into geostationary orbit. The GSLV Mark III achieved its first successful orbital launch in 2014 and has since become ISRO's primary vehicle for launching communication satellites.

India's rocket development efforts culminated in the successful development of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III-M1 (GSLV Mk III-M1), also known as the Chandrayaan-2 mission in July 2019. This mission showcased India's capabilities to launch heavy payloads and paved the way for future ambitious missions, including human spaceflight.

The indigenous rocket development journey of India has been marked by steady progress, technological advancements, and a commitment to self-reliance in the space domain. It has enabled India to establish a strong space infrastructure, conduct scientific research, and provide essential services such as communication, navigation, weather forecasting, and remote sensing. With each successful launch, India continues to strengthen its position as a leading player in the global space arena.