India's bid to privatise part of its space programme and take bids on its small satellite launch rocket has drawn interest from 20 companies. India's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a low-cost means of launching satellites weighing up to 500 kg into low-earth orbit. It serves a market experiencing a surge in demand for launching clusters of satellites for communication and data. To be eligible, companies must be profitable and the lead bidder in a consortium must have at least five years' manufacturing experience and annual revenue of Rs 400 crore ($48.8 million).