ISRO staff raises concerns over private sector role:Urges protection of core functions amid rising private participation

India’s space sector is opening up to more private companies, but some ISRO employees want clarity on how far this shift should go. A group of employee associations has now said that greater private participation should not come at the cost of ISRO’s own capabilities and expertise. The concerns were raised in a note circulated among ISRO staff on Thursday by the Joint Action Council (JAC), which represents various employee associations. The group said it supports private participation but wants safeguards to ensure that ISRO’s key functions remain strong. What ISRO employee groups are concerned about
The JAC said private companies can play an important role in expanding India’s space industry. However, it argued that ISRO should continue to retain important capabilities developed over several years. The note called for a ‘level playing field, transparency and accountability’ in the process. The employee associations also raised concerns about the transfer of technologies and facilities developed using public money. They said such assets should not be handed over to private companies at very low prices without ensuring adequate returns to the country. The JAC said: Private participation must strengthen national capability, not weaken ISRO’s core functions. ISRO should retain key capabilities, JAC says The employee groups acknowledged that India needs more launches and that private companies can help increase the number of missions. However, they said mature technologies developed by ISRO should continue to remain with the space agency. The note specifically referred to launch vehicles such as LVM3 and the upcoming NGLV. It said ISRO should retain the complete chain of work, from research and development to building, integration, testing and launching these systems. This comes amid a wider policy shift in which routine manufacturing and other activities are increasingly being opened to industry, while ISRO is expected to focus more on advanced research and new technologies. Why did the concerns emerge? The latest note follows concerns first raised by ISRO employee associations on September 4, a day after the successful GSLV-F17 mission. The associations had sought clarity from ISRO Chairman V Narayanan over reports and statements suggesting that private companies and public-sector firms could eventually take up some activities currently handled by ISRO. The questions included what ISRO’s future role would be, how existing employees would be affected and how technologies developed with public funds would be transferred to industry. What has ISRO said about privatisation? ISRO Chairman V Narayanan had earlier sought to address these concerns, saying there was no move to privatise ISRO. He said the organisation would remain a government institution and that greater private-sector participation was aimed at expanding India’s overall space economy, rather than reducing ISRO’s role. The wider debate is therefore about how ISRO and private companies will divide responsibilities as India expands its space industry.