ISRO has rejected media reports suggesting that the organisation could be privatised or that its role may be reduced, stating that space-sector reforms are intended to expand India’s overall space ecosystem while allowing the agency to focus more strongly on advanced technologies and national missions.
In a clarification issued on September 6, 2026, ISRO said reports and speculation about its future role were “baseless and incorrect”. The organisation stated that it will continue to serve as India’s principal institution for advanced space research and technology development, national and strategic missions, space science and exploration, and critical and frontier space capabilities.
ISRO said the participation of private companies in the sector should not be viewed as a reduction in its responsibilities. Instead, the agency said industry can increasingly take up mature and scalable technologies, allowing ISRO’s scientific and technical workforce to concentrate on advanced research, next-generation technologies and complex national missions.
The organisation linked this transition to space-sector reforms introduced since 2020, the Indian Space Policy 2023 and the progressive liberalisation of foreign direct investment in the sector. According to ISRO, these measures are aimed at creating a larger and globally competitive space ecosystem involving industry, startups and academia.
Under the emerging model, mature technologies and routinely manufactured systems can increasingly be scaled through industry and public-sector undertakings through appropriate competitive processes. ISRO said technology transfers to industry are intended to support production, commercialisation, innovation and access to global markets rather than indicate withdrawal from those areas.
The agency said its future focus will increasingly include frontier research and development, human spaceflight, next-generation launch systems, deep-space and planetary missions and strategic national capabilities.
ISRO also linked the transition to India’s Space Vision 2047, which includes ambitions such as establishing the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035, undertaking an Indian crewed mission to the Moon by 2040, developing reusable launch systems and pursuing sustained lunar and planetary exploration.
The organisation described the emerging structure as an “ISRO-led national space ecosystem”, with industry scaling mature capabilities while ISRO concentrates on the next technological frontier.
Source: This article is based on an official press release issued by ISRO
Clarification regarding media reports on concerns relating to Space Sector Reforms and the role of ISRO
