Stories
ISRO Faces New Crisis: Scientists Leave, Employees Question Private Sector Role
- •ISRO tightened job-leaving and VRS rules after over 100 scientists, including those on Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan missions, left for private companies within a year.
- •Nine ISRO employee organizations wrote to Chairman V. Narayanan, questioning the increasing role of the private sector and ISRO's future if private companies handle rocket and satellite launches.
- •The space sector is changing globally, with increased private sector participation in India, creating a new challenge for ISRO amidst an existing employee shortage (5,632 vacant posts out of 20,269 sanctioned).
- •India's Space Policy 2023 encourages private sector involvement, with companies like Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, and Pixxel developing launch vehicles and satellites.
- •ISRO clarifies it is not being privatized; its objective is to boost India's space economy through collaboration with the private sector, focusing on advanced R&D and ambitious missions.
Key Questions Answered
ISRO tightened its rules for leaving jobs and voluntary retirement schemes because more than 100 scientists left the organization within a year to join private companies, including several working on critical missions like Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan.
Nine employee organizations wrote to ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan to question the increasing role of the private sector and seek clarity on whether ISRO will be reduced to a mere research and development center if private companies build and launch rockets.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan clarified that ISRO is not being privatized and its role will not be diminished. Instead, the agency is working on a model of collaboration with the private sector to boost India's space economy while maintaining its core capabilities.
