Private participation not at the cost of ISRO’s capabilities: Staff in fresh note

Private participation not at the cost of ISRO's capabilities: Staff in fresh note That letter prompted ISRO Chairman V Narayanan to state there was no move to privatise the agency, and it would continue to build and strengthen capabilities as it partners.

What happened

Private participation in the space sector must not weaken Indian Space Research Organisation's own capabilities, nor should the technologies and facilities developed by it be transferred to private parties at "throwaway prices", a group of employee associations of ISRO has asserted in a fresh statement on the ongoing debate over the role of private firms in the country's space sector.

These associations first flagged their reservations in a letter to ISRO chairman on September 4, a day after the successful launch of GSLV-F17 mission. While ceding rest of the space to private firms, in that letter, they sought a series of clarifications on ISRO's role going forward, particularly in view of reports that the agency was being readied to focus its energies only on a few strategic missions.

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around private participation not at the cost of ISRO's capabilities: Staff in fresh point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.