'ISRO will not manufacture any launch vehicles. That will all be done by the private sector or public sector undertakings.'
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is going through a strategic shift, focusing on research, development and big-ticket space missions, leaving the manufacturing of launch vehicles and routine satellites to the private sector, said a top executive on Saturday.
This is expected to be a huge boost for the Indian upstream and downstream space industry.
This comes as the country lines up A crewed orbital spacecraft next year, the Bharatiya Antriksh Station planned by 2035, and dreams of an Indian landing on the moon by 2040 being seeded.
Currently, India has around 450 space startups.
Key Points
- ISRO will focus on research, development and major space missions while private firms take over launch vehicle and satellite manufacturing.
- The shift supports India's ambitious plans for Gaganyaan, the Bharatiya Antriksh Station by 2035 and a Moon landing by 2040.
- India now has around 450 space startups spanning upstream and downstream segments.
- Industry leaders say the move will strengthen manufacturing, attract investment and accelerate commercial space applications.
ISRO's Strategic Shift
The upstream segment refers to all activities, products, and infrastructure ensuring the development, testing, launching, operations, and monitoring (including space situational awareness) of space assets.
On the other hand, the downstream segment refers to all applications, services, and devices relying on satellites to create business value.
Private Sector Takes Manufacturing
'ISRO will not manufacture any launch vehicles. That will all be done by the private sector or public sector undertakings,' Dr Pawan Goenka, chairman, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre, told a media summit on Saturday.
"This is a natural next step in how ISRO and private industry work together. ISRO will push further into research and frontier technology while private players like us take on more of the manufacturing and operational scale," said Moin SPM, cofounder and chief operating officer, Agnikul Cosmos.
"This kind of transfer has to come with clear regulatory oversight, security vetting, and safeguards that keep critical IP and manufacturing capability within India," Moin added.
Upstream Space Industry Boost
"Recent successes by private space companies have demonstrated India's ability to build capabilities at a globally competitive level, " said Lieutenant General A K Bhatt (retd), director general, Indian Space Association.
"This sends an important signal to investors and international partners that Indian space companies can move from innovation to execution and scale,:" the general added.
Downstream Applications Expand
"While much of the attention has focused on upstream capabilities, the next phase of India's space story will be shaped equally by downstream adoption," pointed out General Bhatt.
"Companies in earth observation, satellite communications and geospatial intelligence are driving real world applications across agriculture, climate monitoring, urban planning, disaster management, connectivity and national security," the general explained.
India's Space Ambitions Grow
"As more satellites reach orbit, that raw data only becomes valuable once it's converted into usable insight, and that's where downstream players will increasingly drive revenue for India's space economy," Krishanu Acharya, CEO and cofounder of Suhora Technologies, said.
"We see this as the layer where India can build lasting, exportable expertise, not just supporting domestic capability, but competing globally in analytics and applications built on space data."
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
