Nine employee unions at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have written to ISRO chairman V Narayanan, seeking an official clarification on reports that key manufacturing and operational work could be shifted away from the agency.
The letter comes amid ongoing efforts to expand private participation in India’s space sector. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) is tasked with promoting, permitting and overseeing private space activities.
Union concerns were triggered by remarks made at an event on August 21 by IN-SPACe chairman Pawan Goenka, who said ISRO would not manufacture rockets in the coming years and that missile and rocket production would be undertaken by private sector or public sector entities.
In their letter, the unions said a policy that limits ISRO largely to research and development while moving rocket manufacturing and launch-site operations out of government control cannot be accepted without discussion. They stressed that ISRO-developed technology is a national asset and any transfer to private players must be transparent and accountable.
The unions asked for details on the policy, legal and administrative basis, the implementation timeline, and the impact on existing staff and future recruitment. They also sought clarity on whether the design, development, production, integration, testing and launch of PSLV, LVM3, SSLV and future rockets would remain under ISRO’s control, along with information on sanctioned posts, vacancies and hiring plans across ISRO centres.
