The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) took off from Sriharikota, an island off India's eastern coast, on Monday at 9:12 am local time (0342 GMT). The payloads were deployed at their orbits around two hours and 15 minutes later, ISRO spokesman DP Karnik told reporters.

The mission was  the PSLV's 15th and its longest flight until now. The rocket carried 675 kilograms of payload.

The main weather forecasting satellite SCATSAT was placed in a 720-kilometer orbit, while two more Indian payloads, three from Algeria, and one each from Canada and the United States were inserted into a 670-kilometer orbit.

According to ISRO chief AS Kiran Kumar, the SCATSAT would provide data to the global community for forecasting weather. "The data will be made available within 180 minutes of acquisition of data," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the space agency on its achievement.

"This is a challenging two-in-one mission which puts India in a unique league of nations having the capability to achieve two different orbits in a single mission," the ISRO chief told the Indian media.

India is one of the few countries in the world which can launch satellites into space. Recently, it succesfully launched 20 satellites in one space mission.

mg/rg (dpa, PTI)