New Delhi, Sep 6: Employees of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have sought clarity from the government over its plans to transfer space-related manufacturing and operational activities to private companies, raising concerns about the organisation’s future role and the implications for its existing workforce and recruitment.
In a letter to ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, V Narayanan, dated September 4, several employee associations sought details of the government’s policy on opening up space operations to the private sector.
The letter was sent hours after the successful launch of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
More Read
The associations said that while statements about shifting major ISRO activities to private companies had received “wide national publicity”, employees had not received any corresponding official communication explaining the government’s position.
They sought clarity on the “approved policy, its legal and administrative basis, its phasing, or its implications for the existing workforce and future public-sector recruitment.”
The concerns follow remarks by Pawan Kumar Goenka, chairman of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), that ISRO would eventually stop manufacturing launch vehicles, with production being taken over by private companies or public sector undertakings.
The employee associations said the transition appeared to have already begun with the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) and could eventually extend to the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3).
They also flagged reports of proposed changes in satellite manufacturing and launch infrastructure. According to the letter, routine satellite production could be shifted outside ISRO, while new facilities, including the Space Launch Complex at Kulasekarapattinam, could be opened to private participation.
The associations also pointed out that ISRO had already transferred around 120 technologies to private companies.
The government opened India’s space sector to private participation about six years ago, allowing private companies to undertake activities including research and development, manufacturing and launches. The first rocket launch by a private entity was carried out this year.
The employees’ concerns come against the backdrop of a broader effort to increase private participation in India’s space programme while redefining ISRO’s role as a research and development organisation.
Formally established in 1969, ISRO has more than 14,000 employees spread across over 29 major centres. Over the decades, the organisation has developed into one of the world’s leading space agencies, with a wide-ranging role in satellite development, launch vehicles and space applications.
The associations have now sought greater transparency from the Department of Space on how the proposed transition will be implemented and what it will mean for ISRO’s existing employees and future generations of recruits.
