In an Oct. 7 letter, a council representing nine associations said questions about ISRO’s role, technology transfer and staffing remained unanswered after an earlier video conference.
The Joint Action Council (JAC), representing nine employee associations at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has sought a meeting with agency chairperson V. Narayanan. In a letter dated Oct. 7, it said it wanted to discuss ISRO’s future role, technology and manufacturing transfers, possible privatisation, and the operation of launch vehicles and facilities.
The request is the JAC’s second letter after one sent on Sept. 4. Narayanan held a video conference with employees after the first letter. The associations acknowledged that he had answered some questions but said their main concerns remained unresolved. They also sought clarification on staffing issues, including stagnation after a cadre review, recruitment and attrition, allocation of functional posts, vigilance clearance for the Performance Related Incentive Scheme and restoration of joint consultative mechanisms.
The JAC cited a statement by Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) chairperson Pawan Kumar Goenka that ISRO would eventually stop manufacturing launch vehicles. The associations said the Department of Space had not issued a document explaining any approved policy, its legal basis, timeline or consequences for current employees and future public recruitment. They specifically opposed transferring the LVM-3 before the Next Generation Launch Vehicle is successfully realised.
The letter said private companies could take part in defined commercial activities while ISRO remained a strong public agency. The associations argued that transferring rocket production and launch infrastructure operations to private entities without transparent debate and safeguards could weaken the organisation. They also linked long-standing staffing issues to hardship, uncertainty and lower morale among employees.
The JAC asked for a meeting of representatives from the nine associations at the earliest opportunity, chaired by the Department of Space secretary or the joint secretary for personnel. The letter states the employee groups’ position and does not establish that the government has decided to transfer the functions under discussion.