India’s decision to open the space sector to greater private participation is both inevitable and necessary. But the concerns voiced by ISRO employees cannot simply be dismissed as resistance to change. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan has rightly assured employees that the organisation remains a government institution and that their genuine concerns will be addressed.
There is a strong case for allowing private companies and startups to manufacture, launch and commercialise space technologies. India’s ambitions require a much larger space economy and far greater launch capacity. But efficiency and privatisation are not necessarily the same thing. ISRO’s core strengths in research, technology development, strategic missions and national space programmes must remain firmly protected. Any transfer of responsibilities to industry should be transparent, carefully defined and subject to accountability.
Most importantly, the scientists and engineers who built India’s space programme must not feel that their future is uncertain. The government and ISRO leadership should engage employee associations openly, explain the roadmap and make clear which functions will remain within the organisation. Private industry should complement ISRO, not gradually hollow it out. India needs a bigger space ecosystem—but that expansion will be credible only if ISRO remains at its centre.