Nine service associations of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have again written to its chairman, V Narayanan, this time to reiterate that core questions on the future role of the agency, the “emerging threat of privatisation”, the policy on transfer of technology and manufacturing, among others, raised in their previous letter have not been answered by him. They also requested a meeting at the earliest to discuss these issues.
“The core questions regarding the future mandated role of ISRO, the policy on privatisation/transfer of manufacturing and operational functions, technology transfer, staffing and recruitment and employee safeguards remain substantially unanswered,” said the letter from the Joint Action Council representing the nine associations, dated October 07, 2026. While the letter acknowledged an address by the chairman to employees via video conference, this effort did not sufficiently answer questions and concerns raised by employees through the council because of which, they said, they were writing again to request a meeting.
The unprecedented pushback from the ISRO workforce first surfaced on September 4, when nine of its employee associations, across Department of Space (DoS) centres, submitted a joint representation. The unions raised concerns about the role of the private sector and challenged public statements by Pawan Goenka, Chairman IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre), on August 21 that the ISRO will eventually stop manufacturing launch vehicles.
In response to the mounting unease, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan addressed employees across all centers through an all-hands video conference on September 8. During the 30-minute address, Narayanan sought to allay fears by reassuring staff that the agency would not be privatised, highlighting ISRO’s past achievements and outlining an ambitious pipeline of future missions.
However, the address did not resolve the specific, policy-level queries raised in the September 4 letter, the employee organisations felt. The association is now seeking a “structured personal interaction” with the chairman so that their concerns can be addressed.
The News Minute has seen a copy of the letter.
“In particular, the associations reiterate the widespread anxiety caused among serving employees, their families and aspiring youth by public statements indicating that ISRO will eventually cease making or manufacturing launch vehicles, that such functions will be performed by the private sector or PSUs and that transfer had now extended up to LVM3 (denying opportunity to PSUs to take part EOI), satellite manufacturing and operation of new launch infrastructure (including the Space Launch Complex at Kulasekarapattanam) are being opened to private entities, and that a large number of technologies have already been transferred,” the letter states.
In their September 4 letter, the employee organisations had stated that, while private participation “in defined commercial activities can and should coexist with a strong, publicly owned ISRO,” a policy trajectory without transparent debate and safeguards “that risks reducing ISRO to a residual R&D entity” cannot be accepted.
The joint letter has been signed by the ISRO Staff Association, SHAR Employee Association, ISAC Employees Association, ISRO Staff Association – LPSC, ISRO Staff Association-BBU, NRSA Employees Union Space, Employees Association BBU, ISRO Staff Association-IPRC and SAC Employees Welfare Association.
In their letter in September, the employees sought written clarification on whether core mandates like the design, production, and launching of launch vehicles would cease, while warning against policy shifts that risk reducing the agency to a “residual R&D boutique”. They also questioned the transfer of taxpayer-funded infrastructure to private entities and expressed fears over career stagnation, workforce downsizing, and dwindling recruitment opportunities.
They also asked whether Goenka’s statements represented an officially approved Government of India policy and wanted to know when such a decision was taken.
Indulekha Aravind is an independent journalist based in Bengaluru.