Politics · India Bureau
ISRO remains cornerstone of India's space sector, says IN-SPACe chief
The Indian Space Research Organisation will continue to anchor India's space programme even as private industry expands its role, according to the head of the government's space promotion body. Pawan Goenka, chairperson of IN-SPACe, clarified that recent sector reforms aim to broaden the ecosystem rather than diminish ISRO's standing.
LSN India ·
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will remain the foundation of India's space ambitions despite opening the sector to private players, Pawan Goenka, chairperson of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), said on Sunday.
Goenka's statement underscores the complementary roles envisioned for India's public and private space sectors. IN-SPACe, an autonomous agency operating under the Department of Space, is tasked with promoting, authorising and overseeing space activities by non-governmental entities.
According to Goenka, space sector reforms initiated since 2020 are designed to expand India's overall space ecosystem rather than curtail government involvement. The strategy allows private industry to increasingly manufacture and commercialise mature launch vehicles, satellites and related systems, while ISRO concentrates on advanced research, scientific missions, strategic programmes and next-generation technologies.
"The infrastructure that is too complex for the private sector to develop independently will remain within ISRO's purview," Goenka noted. This division of labour aims to leverage private sector efficiency in operational activities while preserving ISRO's role in frontier research and national security priorities.
The clarification comes amid workforce concerns at ISRO, with multiple employee associations having raised issues with space agency leadership regarding the sector's evolving structure.