Thousands of ISRO employees question fate, write to chairman amid privatisation push | India News - Hindustan Times

**Thousands of ISRO employees question fate, write to chairman amid privatisation push**

*New Delhi, September 6 –* In a coordinated move, more than 7,000 current and former employees of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have sent a formal letter to the agency’s chairman, Dr S. Somanath, seeking written clarification on the government’s recent drive to open up the space sector to private participation. The missive, signed by staff unions such as the ISRO Staff Association and the ISRO Employees’ Forum, was dispatched shortly after the successful launch of a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) that placed the communication satellite GSAT‑30 into orbit. While the launch underscored India’s growing technical capability, the timing of the letter reflects mounting unease among the scientific community about how privatisation could reshape the organization’s core research and development mandate.

The employees’ concerns centre on three principal issues: job security for the existing workforce, the potential dilution of ISRO’s long‑term scientific programmes, and the transparency of the policy‑making process. In the letter, the signatories request a detailed response from the Union Ministry of Science and Technology and the Department of Space on whether the proposed “Space Agency” model will entail the transfer of ISRO’s launch‑service business to private entities such as Antrix and NewSpace India. They also ask for assurances that ongoing projects—ranging from lunar exploration missions to satellite‑based climate monitoring—will not be compromised by commercial pressures. “Our dedication has always been to serve the nation’s strategic and scientific needs,” the letter states, “and any shift in governance must preserve that purpose.”

The government’s privatisation agenda, announced earlier this year, aims to accelerate India’s participation in the global commercial space market by inviting private firms to develop launch vehicles, satellite constellations, and related infrastructure. Officials have argued that such reforms will spur innovation, attract investment, and reduce the fiscal burden on the state. However, critics warn that an abrupt transition could erode the institutional knowledge that has propelled ISRO to its current stature. The Ministry of Science and Technology has indicated that it will convene a high‑level committee to review the employees’ requests, and a parliamentary sub‑committee on space is slated to examine the broader implications of the policy in the coming weeks.