ISRO Chief Says Space Reforms Key as Agency Alone Cannot Meet Demand

ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan has defended the growing role of private companies in India's space programme, arguing that the national agency alone cannot keep pace with the country's expanding requirements.

Speaking on Friday, Narayanan said India's space economy and ecosystem must scale up significantly to meet the rising demand for satellites and related services. He pointed out that India currently operates 56 satellites, but the requirement is for hundreds more.

"Please understand, our country's space economy has to grow and the space ecosystem has to grow because ISRO alone cannot meet the needs of the country," he said.

Narayanan explained that the government's space sector reforms are designed to enable wider industry participation, with ISRO providing technical support and guidance. He said the agency is "hand-holding" private activities to ensure the ecosystem grows, which would lead to more job opportunities, economic expansion, and increased satellite production.

His comments came shortly after the successful pre-dawn launch of the GSLV-F17 rocket carrying the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 2:55 am on Friday.

Narayanan described the mission as a proud moment, noting that it was the heaviest satellite ever lifted by the GSLV Mark II vehicle. He said the vehicle's capability has improved by nearly 40 percent since its initial capacity of 1,536 kg.

On infrastructure, Narayanan said construction at the Kulasekarapattinam spaceport is progressing on schedule and is expected to be completed by March. He also confirmed that the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme is on track, with the first uncrewed mission targeted for this year.