The Congress party is critical of the Modi government's plans to privatize ISRO's manufacturing and operational functions, arguing it diminishes the space agency's role in favor of startups and questions the long-term commitment of private companies to ISRO's developed capabilities. This criticism is amplified by a letter from nine ISRO employee associations to the chairman, expressing similar concerns about the future of the agency and the potential transfer of crucial launch vehicle and infrastructure operations out of public hands.

The Congress party is critical of the Modi government's plans to privatize ISRO's manufacturing and operational functions, arguing it diminishes the space agency's role in favor of startups and questions the long-term commitment of private companies to ISRO's developed capabilities. This criticism is amplified by a letter from nine ISRO employee associations to the chairman, expressing similar concerns about the future of the agency and the potential transfer of crucial launch vehicle and infrastructure operations out of public hands.

The Congress party is critical of the Modi government's plans to privatize ISRO's manufacturing and operational functions, arguing it diminishes the space agency's role in favor of startups and questions the long-term commitment of private companies to ISRO's developed capabilities. This criticism is amplified by a letter from nine ISRO employee associations to the chairman, expressing similar concerns about the future of the agency and the potential transfer of crucial launch vehicle and infrastructure operations out of public hands.

The Congress on Sunday targeted the Narendra Modi government over its proposal to transfer the manufacturing and operational functions of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to private companies. 

It accused the government of deliberately curtailing the space agency’s role in the name of promoting start-ups.

The Opposition party’s remarks came a day after nine employee associations at ISRO wrote to its chairman, V Narayanan, seeking clarity on the agency’s future role under the proposed changes and their implications for serving employees and future recruitment.

Sharing a screenshot of a media report on the employees’ letter, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh described their move as “courageous and commendable”.

“In the name of encouraging startups in the space economy, ISRO's role is being deliberately circumscribed by the Modi government. Worse, capabilities it has built up over decades in a painstaking manner are to be transferred to private companies whose long-term commitment is doubtful,” Ramesh said in a post on X.

“It is courageous and commendable that voices from within the ISRO community are now speaking out,” he added.

Ramesh also said that a former ISRO chairman had been bold enough to voice concerns over the proposal, apparently referring to G Madhavan Nair, who recently questioned the viability of the government’s plan to have private companies and public sector undertakings (PSUs) take over the manufacture of launch vehicles.

Meanwhile, in their September 5 letter, the employee associations sought clarification on the proposed changes.

“Private participation in defined commercial activities can coexist with a strong, publicly owned ISRO. What cannot be accepted without debate is a policy that reduces ISRO to a residual R&D (research and development) boutique while the realisation of the nation's launch vehicles and the operation of its launch infrastructure pass out of public hands,” the letter said.