ISRO rejects privatization claims after employee associations seek clarification

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday rejected claims of a possible move to privatise the agency or reduce its role, days after reports said nine associations representing thousands of ISRO employees had sought clarification over a proposal to hand the space agency’s manufacturing and operational work to private entities.“These assertions are completely baseless and incorrect. We wish to categorically state that ISRO will neither be privatised nor will its importance be diminished,” the space agency said in a statement. ISRO denies privatisationThe statement added, “ISRO will continue to remain India’s principal institution for advanced space research and technology development, national and strategic missions, space science and exploration, and critical and frontier space capabilities.”It said that the private-sector participation in space would not reduce ISRO's role, but would allow the agency to focus more closely on the next phase of India's space programme while private industry expands proven technologies and capabilities. “What is changing is not the importance of ISRO, but the scale and structure of India’s space ecosystem.”ISRO said industry, start-ups and academic institutions are being encouraged to take part across the space sector, while adding to and expanding its existing capabilities. “The reforms should therefore be seen as ecosystem expansion and capability multiplication, not privatisation.”ISRO employees had sought clarity on privatisationIn a letter dated September 4 and addressed to ISRO chairman and Department of Space (DoS) secretary V Narayanan, the associations asked for clarity on the government's privatisation policy, the agency's future role, and how the proposed changes could affect existing staff and future recruitment, HT reported earlier.