ISRO Remains Government Organisation, Employee Concerns Will Be Addressed: V Narayanan

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan on Monday reaffirmed that the Indian Space Research Organisation remains a government organisation and dismissed concerns over its alleged privatisation. Speaking after inaugurating the ninth edition of the Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX), Narayanan acknowledged concerns raised by employees over reports that some manufacturing and operational functions could be shifted to private companies. He maintained that such concerns were genuine and would be addressed.

Narayanan’s remarks came days after nine employee associations at ISRO wrote to him on September 4 seeking clarity on reports about the possible transfer of core functions to private entities. He said ISRO had an established system of engaging with its workforce and assured employees that their concerns would be addressed. Narayanan also stressed that collaboration with private industry was part of the space-sector reforms introduced six years ago and did not amount to privatisation of the organisation.

ISRO currently has nearly 20,000 employees, including more than 8,000 scientists, Narayanan said. Responding to questions about employees leaving the organisation, he noted that around 150 employees had resigned annually over the past five to six years, describing the level as normal for an organisation of ISRO’s size. He also said there was no shortage of government funding for the space agency, with the Centre allocating funds based on its requirements.

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Narayanan highlighted the growing demands on India’s space programme and the need to substantially increase launch capacity. He said the country’s requirement was expected to reach around 50 launch vehicles a year and expressed confidence that the target could be achieved. Recalling that only one launch took place every three years when he joined ISRO 43 years ago, he described the expansion in launch activity as a major shift and said 50 launches annually would become a reality.

Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) Chairman Pawan Goenka also defended the increasing role of private industry in the space sector. He said technology transfers and greater participation by private companies were consistent with India’s space policy and maintained that there had been no slowdown in major ISRO programmes. These include the Indian Space Station, Chandrayaan-4, proposed human missions to the Moon, Venus and Mars, NavIC and satellite constellations.

Goenka said India’s space ambitions could not be achieved by ISRO or private industry working independently, arguing that both sectors needed to work together. India’s space economy is currently valued at around USD 8 billion and is targeted to reach USD 44 billion by 2033, he said. The expansion of the sector, he added, would require closer cooperation between ISRO and private companies as India seeks to increase its presence in the global space industry.

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