Rise of private space: How ISRO employees view their jobs and future roles

ISRO employees are seeking clarity over the space agency’s future role as private companies take on more launch and manufacturing work. The government says reforms are aimed at developing India’s space ecosystem.

New Delhi: Despite clarification from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) that there is no move to privatise the space aagency, increasing role of private companies in India’s space programme has left a section of employees at  worried about what the change could mean for their jobs, promotions and future work in the organisation.

The unease surfaced after IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Kumar Goenka said in an interview on August 21 that the space agency would eventually stop making launch vehicles. He said the work would then be done by the private sector or PSUs.

“Eventually, ISRO will not make any launch vehicles and will not manufacture any launch vehicles. That will all be done by the private sector or PSU,” he said.

Goenka’s comment prompted nine employee organisations representing the ‘ISRO family’ to seek a written clarification from the Department of Space. They said the issue is important not only for existing employees but also for “the thousands of young citizens who want to build a career in the national space programme (ISRO)”.

The government began opening up more space activities to private companies and startups six years ago to create a new role for businesses in the sector. IN-SPACe was set up six years ago as an independent single-window agency to promote, authorise and oversee space activities by private companies and startups.

Why employees are worried

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan addressed the issue at Bengaluru Space Expo 2026, where he explained the thinking behind the space sector reforms.

“Space sector reforms started six years ago. Under these reforms, we have to support the private sector and startup companies and help grow the space ecosystem. Around 80 per cent of the budget spent on launching PSLV or GSLV comes from private industries. We have 450 industries working for us,” he said.

He also referred to the plan to increase the number of launches. He said satellites were once launched only once every three or four years, while the target now is to have 50 launch vehicles a year.

The ISRO, he said, “alone cannot launch” that many vehicles. “This work will be done by Indians in India. The work of 50 launch vehicles will be completed by Indians in India”.

He also made it clear that the changes do not mean privatising the agency space agency.

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“The ISRO is not being privatised. ISRO is a government organisation and we are working. This is a government investment. But the point is that we are involved in many activities. The ecosystem has to grow,” Narayanan said.

Employee organisations have a different worry about the impact of this change on the organisation’s internal work.

They said that “gradually moving away from making launch vehicles and satellites will affect post-research experiments, reduce in-house work, freeze or reduce sanctioned posts and close avenues for promotions and skill development in technical, scientific, administrative, stores, purchase, quality, safety and industrial cadres”.

They also said regular recruitment to Group A, B and C posts are limited because of vacancies and staff retirements or resignations. They said this recruitment “will be reduced further. This will deny opportunities to capable young people who see ISRO as a respectable government career, and not as a workforce for a private contractor”.

Employees want a clear policy

The organisations have emphasised that they are not against private industry or commercialisation through New Space India Limited.

Their worries, they said, is the absence of a formal policy from the Department of Space that clearly separates greater private participation from reducing ISRO’s own ability to build spacecraft and launch vehicles.

The employee organisations said, “A policy cannot be accepted without debate if it limits ISRO only to research and development, while the work of making launch vehicles and operating launch infrastructure moves out of government hands.”

They also argued that technology developed by the aagency belongs to the country and must be transferred carefully.

“Technology developed by ISRO is the property of the country. Its transfer should be transparent, accountable and based on strategic, security and employment considerations, and should not be presented to employees through a newspaper report,” they said.

What ISRO chairman told employees

Narayanan said the concerns of employees would be addressed through discussions. “If one or two people write a letter, an immediate written response cannot be given. Please understand. We are 20,000 employees. But we will talk to the employees,” he said.

At another point, he said, “If our colleagues have a legitimate concern, it is our responsibility to address it. We have been continuously interacting with our employees.”

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However, members of employee organizations said regular meetings between the ISRO chairman and staff representatives have stopped in recent years. Some members described Narayanan’s response as “cosmetic”.

There was also reluctance among some employees to speak on camera. People associated with the employee organisations said they feared possible action against them.

IN-SPACe says ISRO still has a huge role

Goenka has also sought to reassure those worried about a reduced role for ISRO.

Speaking at a conference during Bengaluru Space Expo 2026, he said, “Anyone in this room or outside who thinks that ISRO’s role will reduce in all this needs to think again.”

He listed several major programmes that ISRO is working on, including the Chandrayaan series, Gaganyaan, the Indian Space Station, sending an Indian to the soon, missions to venus and mars, a reusable heavy-lift vehicle, strengthening Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) and satellites under the SDS series.

“I don’t think ISRO has ever had so much work at one time. ISRO is the backbone and foundation of all this,” he said.

Goenka further said every part of the space sector has a role to play. “But every one of us has a role, the whole system moves forward only when we all work together,” he added.

Why are scientists leaving ISRO?

The question of staff departures has also become part of the debate, particularly with some scientists moving to startups.

Goenka cited data on resignations and said the numbers are much smaller than some perceptions suggested. “Look, as far as I know, according to the data, only 125 out of 12,500 scientists have left. That is one per cent of the total. In which institution do people not leave jobs? In the private sector, this rate can be 10, 12 and 15 per cent,” he said.

He also said ISRO’s projects are progressing according to schedule.

“All ISRO projects are progressing according to schedule. There is no slackness in the work. This is not ISRO versus industry, but ISRO and industry working together to compete with the world,” he said.

The government has earlier clarified in clear terms that there is no intention to privatise ISRO or diminish its role amid ongoing space-sector reforms, calling such reports and speculation "baseless and incorrect". It said will the agency continue to lead India’s work in advanced space research and technology, national and strategic missions, space science and exploration and the development of critical and new space capabilities.

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