Nine employee associations at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have written to the agency’s chairperson, V Narayanan, on September 4, requesting official clarification on the proposed transfer of its manufacturing and operational functions to private entities.
The letter raises questions about ISRO’s future role and the impact on current employees and future recruitment. It argues that private participation in defined commercial activities can coexist with a strong, publicly owned ISRO, but warns against a policy that would reduce ISRO to a residual R&D boutique while launch vehicle development and launch infrastructure are handed to private or public sector undertakings.
The associations cite comments made on August 21 by Pawan Goenka, chairperson of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN‑SPACe), who said that eventually ISRO would not manufacture or launch vehicles, a responsibility that would be taken over by the private sector or public sector undertakings. They note that no official communication from the Department of Space has explained the policy’s legal basis, phasing or its consequences for the existing workforce and future public recruitment.
The letter also calls for transparency and accountability in the transfer of technology developed by ISRO, which it considers a national asset. It questions whether the design, development, realization, integration, testing and launch of PSLV, LVM3, SSLV and successor vehicles will remain under ISRO’s control, and asks about implications for sanctioned strength, existing vacancies, recruitment calendar and the induction of scientific, technical, administrative and industrial personnel across all ISRO centres.
