Key Points
- IN-SPACe chairman says ISRO role is by no means diminishing amid reforms
- Nine ISRO employee associations sought clarification on manufacturing shift
- India targets space station by 2035 and crewed Moon mission by 2040
IN-SPACe chairman Pawan Goenka has said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will remain the bedrock of India’s space sector and that its role is by no means diminishing, following concerns raised by sections of the agency’s workforce over expanding private sector participation in launch vehicle and satellite manufacturing.
Goenka’s clarification, posted on X, comes weeks after nine ISRO employee associations sought a written response from ISRO chairman and Department of Space secretary V Narayanan over remarks Goenka made on 21 August about shifting manufacturing responsibilities away from the agency.
The associations asked whether Goenka’s statements reflected an approved policy decision of the government, the Space Commission or the Department of Space. They also sought details on the proposed changes and their implications for ISRO’s mandate, workforce and future recruitment.
“The direction is not a smaller ISRO. It is a larger Indian space sector, with ISRO pushing the technological frontier,” Goenka said in his post.
Manufacturing concerns
On 21 August, Goenka had said ISRO would eventually stop manufacturing launch vehicles, with production undertaken by private companies or public sector undertakings. He had also indicated that routine satellite manufacturing would increasingly move outside ISRO while the agency concentrated on research and development, scientific missions and advanced technologies.
The employee associations raised questions about whether activities including launch vehicle design, development, integration, testing and launch operations would continue within ISRO as private participation increased. Their letter sought formal clarity on how the transition would be implemented and which functions would remain within the agency.
Goenka’s latest statement reiterated the division of responsibilities envisaged under the government’s space sector reforms introduced since 2020. Under this framework, private industry is expected to take up the manufacturing and scaling of mature systems, including launch vehicles and satellites that use established technology.
NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Department of Space, is tasked with commercialising technologies and capabilities developed by ISRO. The body transfers mature technologies to industry and enables the production and operation of space systems on a commercial basis.
ISRO’s continuing role
ISRO, Goenka said, would continue to work in areas requiring advanced scientific and technological capabilities. These include research and development, strategic programmes, scientific missions, new technologies and complex infrastructure.
“ISRO’s role is by no means diminishing,” he said.
The space agency will continue to lead major national programmes, according to Goenka. These include the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, which India plans to establish by 2035, a crewed Indian mission to the Moon targeted for 2040, next-generation launch systems and future lunar and planetary missions.
India opened its space sector to greater private participation in 2020, allowing non-government entities to undertake activities including the development of rockets, satellites and space-based services. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre, known as IN-SPACe, was subsequently established as an autonomous body under the Department of Space.
By the numbers
Key figures from this story- 2035
- Target year for Bharatiya Antariksh Station
- 2040
- Target year for crewed Indian Moon mission
- 9
- ISRO employee associations seeking clarification
IN-SPACe acts as the regulatory and promotional body that facilitates, authorises and supervises private sector participation in space activities. It serves as the interface between ISRO and non-government entities seeking access to the agency’s facilities, technologies and opportunities in the country’s space programme.
The government has said increased participation by private companies is intended to expand India’s share of the global space economy and allow ISRO to devote more resources to research and next-generation missions. Several Indian startups have since entered the sector, developing small satellite launch vehicles, satellite components and space-based services.
Goenka’s comments also follow remarks he made during National Space Day events in August, where he underlined ISRO’s role in supporting the growth of private space companies. At that event, Goenka said India’s private space ecosystem could not develop without ISRO and described the national agency as central to the sector’s growth.
The Department of Space is implementing a model in which production of established systems is increasingly opened to industry while ISRO continues work on technology development and major national missions. The nine employee associations have sought formal clarity on the specifics of this transition.
Your Questions, Answered
Why did ISRO employee associations seek clarification from the agency?
Nine ISRO employee associations wrote to ISRO chairman V Narayanan after IN-SPACe chairman Pawan Goenka said on 21 August that ISRO would eventually stop manufacturing launch vehicles and that production would move to private companies or public sector undertakings. The associations sought clarity on whether this reflected approved government policy.
What is IN-SPACe and what role does it play in India's space sector?
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre is an autonomous body under the Department of Space established to facilitate, authorise and supervise private sector participation in space activities. It acts as the interface between ISRO and non-government entities seeking access to facilities and technologies.
What will ISRO continue to do under the new space sector framework?
According to Goenka, ISRO will continue research and development, strategic programmes, scientific missions, new technology development and complex infrastructure. It will lead major national programmes including the Bharatiya Antariksh Station targeted for 2035 and a crewed Moon mission planned for 2040.
What is NSIL's role in the space sector reforms?
NewSpace India Limited is the commercial arm of the Department of Space tasked with commercialising ISRO-developed technologies. It transfers mature technologies to industry and enables private production and operation of space systems on a commercial basis.
