New Delhi [India], August 24 : Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Monday accused the Centre of pushing an "aggressive privatisation agenda" for India's space programme, citing recent news reports linked to ISRO's future role in manufacturing launch vehicles.
In an X post, Ramesh alleged ISRO's decades of capability-building are now being handed over to private players.
"There have been news reports in the past couple of days on ISRO's future role in our country's space programme. This has raised legitimate concerns given its capacities, capabilities, and competencies built up so methodically and painstakingly over the past six decades thanks to the vision, dedication, and leadership of Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan, Brahm Prakash, UR Rao, APJ Abdul Kalam, and so many other distinguished scientists and technologists," said the Congress leader.
https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/2091731258657398942?s=20
He compared the move to privatisation in the nuclear energy sector, alleging that ISRO's presence in rocket development and manufacturing is to be "severely limited" while much of its satellite-related assets are being transferred to private companies.
"It is abundantly clear that like in nuclear energy, the Modi Govt has an aggressive privatisation agenda for the space programme as well. The motivation is clearly coming from the PM and his PMO itself. ISRO's presence in rocket development and manufacture is to be severely limited and much of its satellite-related assets are to be transferred lock, stock, and barrel to private companies. It will also be handing over to a private company the second spaceport coming up in Tamil Nadu for which it is investing something like Rs 1000 crores. Given the winds of change, the future of the historic Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh is itself anybody's guess," said Ramesh.
The Congress leader said ISRO's achievements have long been showcased by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, and that while space startups deserve support, there was no reason for ISRO, which has had productive private-sector partnerships for years, to be "strangulated and emasculated."
"ISRO has done India enormously proud and the Prime Minister himself has basked in the glory of its achievements on multiple occasions. Space startups certainly deserve encouragement and support. But why should ISRO, which has for long had productive partnerships with the private sector, now be strangulated and emasculated? Already, in the past few months 100-120 key ISRO professionals have quit, perhaps seeing the writing on the wall," he said.
He further added, "It is noteworthy that a distinguished former ISRO Chairman who had joined the BJP in Oct 2018 after having been inspired by the PM has also just expressed his serious doubts on the new privatisation drive involving ISRO," he said, reffering to former ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair and asked, "Why don't the five other living eminent Chairmen also speak out on this vital issue?".