ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan has clarified that the Indian Space Research Organisation is not being privatised. His remarks came amid concerns among some ISRO employees over the growing involvement of private companies in India’s space sector.
Speaking at the Bengaluru Space Expo, Narayanan said the space sector reforms introduced around six years ago are aimed at supporting private companies and expanding India’s overall space ecosystem. He stressed that private industry has already been closely involved in the country’s space programme.
According to Narayanan, ISRO works with hundreds of Indian companies in the production of rockets and other space systems. He said around 80 per cent of the investment involved in PSLV and GSLV missions comes from Indian industries, with nearly 450 companies currently working with ISRO.
The ISRO chief said India could require around 50 launch vehicles every year in the future. Meeting such a large demand, he explained, will require a strong industrial base alongside ISRO. Narayanan also assured ISRO employees that their concerns would be addressed. He said the organisation has around 20,000 employees and emphasised that greater private-sector participation does not mean reducing ISRO’s role.
He clarified that the reforms are intended to strengthen India’s space capabilities by allowing ISRO and private industry to work together, rather than replacing ISRO with private companies.
