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‘Completely baseless’: ISRO rejects reports of privatisation

From Hindustan Times · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • ISRO rejected reports that India plans to privatise the space agency or reduce its role, calling the claims “completely baseless and incorrect.”
  • The agency said private companies, start-ups and universities would help expand mature capabilities while ISRO continues leading advanced research, strategic missions and frontier technologies.
  • The statement followed a request from associations representing thousands of ISRO employees for clarification on a reported proposal involving private entities.

The Indian Space Research Organisation has rejected reports that it could be privatised or stripped of responsibilities, calling the claims “completely baseless and incorrect.”

The statement followed a letter from nine associations representing thousands of ISRO employees. In a Sept. 4 letter to ISRO chairman and Department of Space Secretary V. Narayanan, the groups sought clarity about the government’s privatisation policy and the agency’s future role.

These assertions are completely baseless and incorrect. We wish to categorically state that ISRO will neither be privatised nor will its importance be diminished.

· Indian Space Research OrganisationISRO rejected reports that the agency could be privatised or have its role reduced.

ISRO said private-sector participation would not diminish its importance. Instead, it said industry, start-ups and academic institutions would help expand existing capabilities, allowing the agency to focus more closely on the next phase of India’s space programme. “What is changing is not the importance of ISRO, but the scale and structure of India’s space ecosystem,” it said.

What is changing is not the importance of ISRO, but the scale and structure of India’s space ecosystem.

· Indian Space Research OrganisationThe agency explained how it viewed private-sector participation in the space sector.

The agency said ISRO would remain India’s principal institution for advanced space research and technology development, national and strategic missions, space science and exploration, and critical frontier capabilities. It described the reforms as “ecosystem expansion and capability multiplication, not privatisation.”

ISRO linked the shift to Space Vision 2047, which includes plans for the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035, Indian astronauts to reach the Moon by 2040, next-generation and reusable launch systems, and continued exploration of the Moon and other planets. It said private participation in operations and services would remain subject to national-security, safety and regulatory requirements, while strategic and nationally critical capabilities would continue to be governed by security, quality and national-interest considerations.

The reforms should therefore be seen as ecosystem expansion and capability multiplication, not privatisation.

· Indian Space Research OrganisationISRO described the purpose of reforms involving industry, start-ups and academic institutions.
About this summary

Originally published by Hindustan Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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