ISRO says it will not be privatised nor its importance will be diminished

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday issued a clarification, saying that neither it would be privatised nor would its importance be diminished.

In a post on X, the space agency asserted that participation of the private sector enables ISRO to focus strongly on the next generation of India’s space programme, while the industry scales mature technologies and capabilities.

The development came after nine employee associations at ISRO wrote to the space agency’s Chairperson V Narayanan on September 4, seeking official clarification on the proposed transfer of its manufacturing and operational functions to private entities. They were referring to the remarks made by Pawan Goenka, chairperson of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), on August 21.

ISRO said in the post that its “role will progressively strengthen in areas where its scientific expertise matters most: frontier R&D, advanced technologies, human spaceflight, next-generation launch systems, deep-space and planetary missions and strategic national capabilities.” The space agency added that it would continue developing cutting-edge technologies, including advanced payloads for communication, navigation and Earth observation, sensors, propulsion systems and other critical technologies.

“Meanwhile, mature and routinely manufactured systems can increasingly be scaled through industry. Production of mature launch vehicles, routine satellites and other established systems can increasingly be undertaken by industry or PSUs through appropriate competitive processes,” said ISRO.

It highlighted that this would allow it to devote more resources and scientific manpower to the next generation of technologies and missions.

These include: the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035, undertaking an Indian crewed mission to the Moon by 2040, developing next-generation and reusable launch systems, pursuing sustained lunar and planetary exploration, and establishing India as a major global space power.

IN-SPACe is an autonomous agency under the Department of Space to promote, enable, authorise and supervise various space activities of non-Governmental entities.

At a public event, Goenka had reportedly said that eventually, ISRO would not manufacture any launch vehicles, and the private sector or a PSU would do so.

The employee associations claimed that these remarks had not been accompanied by any corresponding official communication from the Department of Space, explaining the approved policy, its legal and administrative basis, its phasing or its consequences for the existing workforce and future public recruitment.

“Technology developed by ISRO is a national asset. Its transfer must be transparent, accountable and consistent with strategic, safety and employment considerations -- not presented to employees through newspaper reports,” the letter said.

Goenka, in a series of posts on X on Sunday, said that ISRO is by no means diminishing, and it will remain the bedrock of the Indian space sector.

“The reforms since 2020 are about expanding India’s overall space ecosystem. The idea is to let industry increasingly manufacture and scale mature launch vehicles, satellites and other systems,” he added.

ISRO will focus on advanced research and development, scientific missions, strategic missions, new technologies, and infrastructure that is too complex for the private sector to develop on its own, he said.

The IN-SPACe chairperson also highlighted that ISRO and private companies would have to work together to ensure India reaches its target of 50 launches a year by 2030.

“A goal of this scale cannot be achieved by one organisation alone,” he said.