India can now compete in the market for launching heavier satellites. It will take 6 consecutive successful launches to man-rate the rocket (ie. certify it as suitable to carry human passengers)
ISRO had quoted a cost of Rs.40,000 Crores to the central govt in order to undertake the Human Spaceflight Program. Naturally, that heavy pricetag has kept the Centre from formally committing to the program, however the work has continued behind the scenes, with the design, fabrication and testing of a Crew Capsule, spacesuits, environmental life support systems, etc. Just as with nukes, the research and development work will continue until everything is just a screw-turn away from becoming a fait d'accompli.
Here are some highlights of the flight, including onboard camera footage of the boosters separating from the central core of the rocket, and the ejection of the GSAT-19 satellite itself:
And here's the full hour-long broadcast from DD, which contains a lot of interesting information on the rocket, which was presented in the lead-up to the launch:
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