ISRO Chairman V Narayanan Reassures Staff – No Privatization, Just a Bigger Space Ecosystem

During a bustling session at the Bengaluru Space Expo 2026, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan paused to address a growing murmur among the agency’s own people. “My colleagues have some genuine concerns, and it’s our responsibility to clarify,” he said, his tone a mix of calm and conviction.

He was responding to at least nine employee associations that had written to him, asking for a clear picture of the future. Those groups were uneasy after IN‑SPACe chief Pawan Goenka hinted that, eventually, ISRO might step back from building launch vehicles altogether.

Narayanan was quick to set the record straight: “ISRO is not being privatised. It remains a government organisation, financed by the state. What we are doing is simply inviting more private‑sector participation to grow the whole space ecosystem.” He added a slight chuckle, as if acknowledging the irony of a space agency being called a “private” venture.

He reminded the audience that the space sector reform was rolled out six years ago, with a clear mandate – to hand‑hold private players, nurture them, and let the broader Indian space economy flourish. “Private industry is already deeply embedded in our launch programmes,” he noted. “When a PSLV or a GSLV lifts off, don’t think it’s only ISRO. Almost 80 % of the budget comes from Indian industries – we’re talking about 450 companies working for us.”

The chairman also painted a picture of India’s launch ambitions. “Our requirement is roughly 50 launch vehicles a year. That’s a number the whole ecosystem – the scientists, the manufacturers, the startups – has to meet together. So, yes, 50 launches will be accomplished by Indians in India.”

On funding, Narayanan brushed away worries of a cash crunch. “Whatever ISRO needs each year, the government allocates. There’s no shortage of budget.” He also touched on attrition, reassuring that turnover had not spiked dramatically – “a marginal increase, but 150 departures a year is still normal,” he said.

In a broader statement released by ISRO earlier in the day, the agency reiterated its core mandate: frontier research, advanced technologies, human spaceflight, next‑generation launch systems, deep‑space and planetary missions, and strategic capabilities. While mature systems could be handed over to industry or public‑sector undertakings, the research backbone would stay firmly within ISRO’s walls.

Goenka echoed the sentiment, saying the push for private‑sector involvement aligns perfectly with the Indian Space Policy, which clearly delineates the roles of ISRO, IN‑SPACe, and private firms. “There isn’t an iota of digression from that policy,” he asserted.

So, for the employees who penned their concerns, the message is simple: ISRO isn’t being sold off. It’s evolving – inviting more Indian companies to the launch pad, while the government and the agency keep steering the country’s grand space ambitions.