ISRO is reportedly gearing up for a big shift—it's stepping back from building rockets and routine satellites. Instead, the space agency wants to zero in on research, advanced tech, and those high-stakes scientific missions that really need its special expertise, according to an India Today report. Dr Pawan Goenka, who heads IN-SPACe, said at the India @ 100 Economy Summit that ISRO will eventually pull out of launch vehicle manufacturing altogether. Private companies and public sector units will take over.
SSLV technology already transferred
Actually, the ball’s already rolling. The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) technology and its production rights just moved to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) after a competitive bidding process. That means private industry is starting to get real skin in the game, handling not just the build but also operating these smaller launchers.
PSLV and LVM3 could be next
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) are next in line for this handover. Goenka pointed out a twist, though: public sector companies will not be in the running for this next phase, and it will ust be private players. Considering LVM3 is India’s most powerful operational rocket and played a starring role in missions like Chandrayaan-3, this is a big deal.
ISRO to focus more on research and technology
Well, the agency is moving towards a pure R&D setup. Think scientific missions, cutting-edge tech, one-off projects, and core infrastructure. Once a technology has proved itself, ISRO hands it off to the private sector for mass production and operations. They have already transferred 120 technologies to industry, so the transition is well underway.
The government is not just sitting back either – it is planning to bring private companies into the operation of a new launch centre. We might even see an operator named in the next few months.
India targets USD 44 billion space economy
India is aiming to grow its space economy from about USD 8 billion today to a whopping USD 44 billion by 2033. That is not going to happen without serious buy-in from government, mainstream industry, and foreign customers.
The government’s got skin in the game: the defence department has already signed up private firms to deliver 31 satellites, and ISRO will build another 21 as part of this big push.
Here's another key shift: India wants private companies to own satellites and other space assets outright. That opens up new ways for these companies to make money—selling data, offering services, and running their own operations instead of relying on state contracts.
Private companies could own space assets
For ISRO, this is a sharp break from the past. Instead of being hands-on with everything from technology development to mass production, ISRO's about to become the powerhouse feeding industry with big breakthroughs and tackling bold science while the private sector gets busy building and launching at scale.
If this all pans out, India's private space industry stands to grow fast. We’ll see more launch providers, satellite builders, and space tech innovators—and a much bigger ecosystem than before.
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