India has set an ambitious goal of conducting 50 space launches annually by 2030, a target that necessitates significant involvement from the private sector, according to Pawan Goenka, chairman of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).
Goenka's remarks, made on September 6, 2026, come amid concerns raised by employee associations at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Nine employee unions had written to ISRO chairman V. Narayanan on September 4, seeking official clarification regarding the proposed transfer of certain manufacturing and operational functions from ISRO to private companies.
Strategic Objectives for Space Sector Opening
Five years ago, India opened its space sector with two primary objectives: to enable ISRO to explore new technological frontiers and to empower private companies to scale up their operations. Goenka highlighted that both objectives are now taking shape, citing ISRO's recent EOS-05 achievement and the growth of Indian space startups from a handful to over 450, with private industry already achieving orbital rocket flights.
The IN-SPACe chairman emphasized that scaling up is the current challenge. He stated, "A goal of this scale cannot be achieved by one organisation alone. Government and private industry have to build this future together."
ISRO's Evolving Role and Private Industry's Mandate
Goenka clarified that ISRO's role will increasingly focus on research and development, pushing technological boundaries. The private sector, conversely, will be tasked with translating this progress into large-scale manufacturing, producing more rockets, satellites, and launch capacity, alongside developing new technologies.
Previously, Goenka had indicated that rockets like the PSLV and LVM3 would be privatized for production, with private companies taking over their manufacturing. He also mentioned that operations at new launch centers and the production of certain satellites currently built by ISRO would be transferred to the private sector.
"Eventually, ISRO will not manufacture any launch vehicles... They will not do any day in day out kind of satellites. They will do the satellites that are for special purposes, for orbits, and for scientific research," Goenka stated.
Employee Unions Express Concerns
The ISRO employee associations, however, voiced reservations about this shift. Their letter to Narayanan questioned ISRO's future role and the implications for both current employees and future recruitment. They argued that while private participation in commercial activities could coexist with a strong, publicly owned ISRO, a policy reducing ISRO to a "residual R&D boutique" while critical functions move to private hands without debate was unacceptable.