For ISRO, expanding ecosystem is way forward

Opinion For ISRO, expanding ecosystem is way forward The success of ISRO is often attributed to the fact that it has been relatively immune to administration interference.

Key points

• 3 min readSep 9, 2026 06: 00 AM IST First published on: Sep 9, 2026 at 06: 00 AM IST.
• According to Goenka had, eventually ISRO would not manufacture any launch vehicles, a job that would be done by private businesses.
• The ISRO community additionally seems concerned concerning the independence that the space agency has enjoyed thus far.
• ISRO is additionally being asked to handhold private industry, and assist them achieve a level of maturity.

Meanwhile, the ISRO community additionally seems concerned concerning the independence that the space agency has enjoyed thus far.

In practice, the debate that began with the Indian Space Research Organisation tightening its norms for resignation and voluntary retirement of senior scientific personnel has now expanded to questions over the role of the private sector in space, and the future of the space agency itself. Some employee associations of ISRO have written to the leadership asking whether recent remarks by Pawan Kumar Goenka, chairman of IN-SPACe, the nodal agency that promotes and guides private-sector participation in space, represented official policy. According to Goenka had, eventually ISRO would not manufacture any launch vehicles, a job that would be done by private businesses. This comment forced ISRO chairman V Narayanan to categorically say that there was no move to privatise the space agency, even as he welcomed the increasing role of private firms.

While leaving the routine launches to private industry, the administration seems to be preparing ISRO to go the NASA way – focusing primarily on big-ticket space projects, scientific and exploration missions. ISRO is additionally being asked to handhold private industry, and assist them achieve a level of maturity. Much of this process is already unfolding. Most private space firms have retired ISRO scientists as advisors or mentors. It is additionally offering its launch pads and related services to these businesses. ISRO developed a small rocket (SSLV) over the years, but has now transferred the technology to HAL, a public-sector unit. This model can be fruitful. The private space ecosystem can do plenty of commercial launches, bring in much-needed revenue, develop a substantial talent pool and spur fresh employment opportunities. Capabilities in space products and services are additionally becoming a powerful diplomatic good. Of course, the concern amongst sections of the ISRO staff and plenty of old-timers is that the space agency should not just be a provider, but additionally a beneficiary. By stepping away from commercial launches, for example, ISRO is foregoing an significant source of revenue. Becoming entirely dependent on administration budgets will constrain its capabilities. Neither R&D nor ambitious exploration projects are cheap. These would additionally require ISRO to be able to attract and retain top-tier talent.

In short, for ISRO, expanding ecosystem is way forward is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.