‘Completely baseless’: ISRO rejects reports of privatisation, calls them ‘incorrect’ | India News - Hindustan Times

**ISRO dismisses media reports of privatisation as “completely baseless”**

New Delhi – The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has categorically rejected recent news reports suggesting that the agency could be privatised, calling the speculation “incorrect” and “completely baseless.” The clarification came after several Indian newspapers, including *Hindustan Times* and *The Times of India*, published stories that a “privatisation plan” was being floated for the nation’s premier space agency. ISRO’s official spokesperson reiterated that the organisation remains a fully government‑run entity under the Department of Space and that there is no policy or proposal under consideration to transfer ownership or control to the private sector.

Chief S. Somanath, who took charge of the agency in 2022, affirmed that ISRO’s “importance will not be diminished” and that the agency’s “next chapter” involves strengthening the national space ecosystem through greater collaboration with private partners, not through divestment. In statements to NDTV and other media outlets, Somanath explained that while private companies will play a larger role in satellite manufacturing, launch services, and downstream applications, the core research, development and strategic capabilities of ISRO will continue to be funded and directed by the government. The agency’s roadmap emphasizes capacity building, indigenous technology development and the creation of a robust supply chain that includes both public and private entities.

The rumours have nevertheless prompted unease among ISRO employees, who wrote a joint letter to the chief seeking formal clarification on the issue. The correspondence, reported by *The Telegraph* and *The Wire*, highlighted concerns that any move toward privatisation could affect job security, research autonomy and the agency’s long‑term scientific agenda. In response, ISRO reiterated that no such policy shift is being contemplated and that the agency’s mandate—to serve national interests and advance space science—remains unchanged. The episode underscores the broader debate in India about the balance between state‑run institutions and an emerging commercial space sector.