No move to privatise ISRO; space agency clarifies amid concerns over private sector role

NEW DELHI: The reports claiming that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to privatise its operations are baseless, the space agency has said.

The clarification comes after organisations within ISRO wrote to Chairman Dr V. Narayanan, opposing moves to give more opportunities to the private sector in the satellite launch sector.

ISRO will continue to remain the country’s principal institution for advanced space research and technology development, as well as national and strategic missions, space science and exploration.

Giving startups and academic institutions greater opportunities in next-generation space programmes will strengthen ISRO’s capabilities, the agency said. It also clarified that ISRO will not withdraw from a domain when it transfers technology to industry.

Instead, technology transfer enables large-scale production, commercialisation, innovation and access to global markets. This will allow ISRO to focus more on advanced research, next-generation technologies and complex national missions.

ISRO’s role will be further strengthened in areas where its scientific expertise is most critical, including frontier R&D, advanced technologies, human spaceflight, launch systems, and deep-space and planetary missions.