India today successfully put into orbit Oceansat-2 and six nano European satellites in 20 minutes in the 15th consecutive flawless launch for homegrown rocket PSLV putting behind the premature end of its maiden unmanned moon mission.

The textbook launch has also given further fillip to the launch capabilities of India which has emerged as a major player in the multi-billion dollar space market.

The Indian Space Research Organisation's PSLV-C14 put its 960 kg Ocean Monitoring Satellite(Oceansat-2)--the country's 16th remote sensing satellite--into intended orbit of about 720 kms above the earth 1,200 seconds after it majestically blasted off into azure sky from the coastal Satish Dhawan Space Centre here in Andhra Pradesh, about 100 km from Chennai.

India began its space program in 1963, developing its own satellites and launch vehicles to cut dependence on overseas agencies.

It first staked its claim for a share of the global commercial launch market by sending an Italian satellite into orbit in 2007.

India launched an unmanned satellite and put a probe on the moon's surface to great fanfare and national pride late last year, but controllers lost contact with the space vehicle last month and aborted the mission.

Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh congratulated scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful launch of the Oceansat-2 satellite, saying it would "herald a new beginning in our understanding of the oceans".