The private sector will become a co-traveller in India’s space programme, with a level playing field for all, including in satellite launches and space exploration and travel.
Announcing the fourth and last instalment of the Prime Minister’s ₹20 lakh crore economic stimulus package, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman disclosed that the private sector would be allowed to use ISRO facilities and other assets to improve and complement their capabilities for future space projects.
Since then, there have been lots of discussion in social, electronic and print media. ISRO’s retired scientists and others took it as a first step towards privatisation of the agency. Generally, reactions were against it, on expected lines.
ISRO, for the past 57 years of its existence (particularly from 1970), has achieved and gained tremendous progress and success, with limited resources (a shoe-string budget) and under sanctions imposed by advanced nations. Everything was done from scratch by young, novice and energetic engineers, fresh from Indian engineering colleges with practically no knowledge of satellites or rockets. There were no books or trained manpower, except some obsolete NASA reports and BELL Telephone Labs Journal (1968 publication about Early Bird Satellite). Technologies were developed and fortunately, I was also a proud member of the team which developed infrastructure related to designing, developing, fabricating, testing and qualification of satellites starting from Aryabhata.
New agency
Now, the Union Cabinet has cleared the formation of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), expected to meet all the goals spelt out by Ms. Sitharaman and act as a possible coordinator between private industries and ISRO. IN-SPACe will do hand-holding and guide these entities to enter the space technology arena through industry-friendly policies. It will also provide a regulatory regime. ISRO will continue and concentrate on R&D and help private industries.
As of now, there is no clear-cut policies spelt out by the Cabinet on administrative and financial relationship between ISRO and IN-SPACe. Unlike other seven sectors spelt by the Finance Minister, no funding has been earmarked for this activity. Everything looks very rosy and wonderful and this may be inspired by Elon Musk and his SpaceX. It is worth noting that SpaceX operations (manufacturing, services, control and launching) comes under a single entity and can be considered in-house activities on the lines of ISRO. Since space activities are time-bound, perfect quality control is achievable under one administrative and financial head. Space activities involve various disciplines of science and technology, finance and innovative management procedures where work is given more importance than the hierarchy. The government decisions have positive and not so positive aspects. It is worth examining these along with opportunities and challenges.
As opportunities are concerned, it will generate employment, experts will be available in various domains and India can become a big space power. The private industries will provide the manpower and even funds needed for furthering our space goal as ISRO is almost saturated with respect to manpower, resources and funds.
Unique culture
ISRO has a unique working culture, cultivated over the years. It is a strange mixture of a spirit to learn and do something new and innovative, coupled with openness in technical matters (all including the Chairman are equal on technical matters), dedication, team spirit, healthy competition, excellent, strong and encouraging leadership, flavour of nationalism and willingness to work 24 hours a day till the job is finished. Part of this culture is maximum importance to quality assurance and control with emphasis on miniaturisation, reduction in weight, power and increasing efficiency at the lowest cost. ISRO gives maximum importance to technical reviews and adhering to time schedules. It encourages Make in India, in-house or by the industry. Fortunately, the culture inculcated by the founding fathers still exists and continues. It is worth pointing out that such a culture does not exist in other government departments and that is why ISRO could rise to greater heights and is a favourite department of the Government of India and the Indian public. It has received many accolades.
If everything goes by government plans and expectations, the country will reach greater heights in the space sector globally. The ISRO culture will spread to private industries and resources will be optimally utilised. This move will complement ISRO’s capabilities and efforts. Since ISRO has reached almost its saturation, expending it further may make it a bulky organisation which in turn will affect its efficiency. There are many examples in the country of the effect of bulkiness.
ISRO has covered all the spheres of space technologies and provided the country platforms for satellite communication, satellite navigation, remote sensing (optical and microwaves), weather monitoring and broadcasting, services for disaster monitoring and managing, inputs for national natural resources management and town planning, space science, inter-planetary mission and satellite launch vehicles with varied capabilities for launching spacecraft to the moon, Mars and sun (Aditya) and in future to Venus and Mercury. ISRO has achieved more than what its founding father, Vikram Sarabhai, had envisaged. ISRO has been associating with more than 500 private and public sector industries in its endeavours. Its satellites have helped our security and defence forces. All these are well known but it is worth pointing out here that our private industries never developed applications for the platforms provided by ISRO, let they be DTH, VSAT, use of multi-beam satellites, GAGAN and NaVIc, and remote sensing satellites. Here we have to point that the space sector is a globally regulated sector.
The government is also clearing use of ISRO’s geospatial data by private industries. It is worth mentioning here that for the various types of satellites provided by ISRO, the industry can develop cost-effective, mobile applications. Our country provides business opportunities to the western world, Israel, South Korea, and China for various applications using India's space assets. Indian industry has not taken advantage of this one. Space applications area is a big market for industries and they should work for this, where funds needed are much less.
Making satellite launchers for space exploration and travel will need a huge amount of money and trained manpower. The government has not told anything about funding and hence one wonders how the goals will be achieved. There is also an apprehension whether ISRO’s unique culture will survive. ISRO needs support, but creating IN-SPACe and the expected success will depend on the relationship between these two organisations. This will also depend on persons who will be heading them. We have seen personality and interest clashes mar progress. This will make the coordination ineffective. The existing regulatory authorities in various spheres in India, have not shown the desired results. The telecom sector is an example where things are imported and we heavily depend on China. Decentralisation of space activities should not lead ISRO to the fate of numerous public sector units.
No doubt, the private sector can play a big and significant role but aspects related to national security, safety, quality control and finance need to be addressed in detail. The model of NASA may not work in India, since the funding ratio of ISRO to NASA is almost 1:20. In India, the procurement of reliable components and space qualification of systems are long-drawn processes. The technology transfer gestation period is also quite large. Industries have to develop the requisite background, reliability standards, manufacturing, testing and monitoring procedures. Above all, good team development and guidance will be of utmost importance.
As of now, we hope that the government move will give a big fillip to the space sector. However, we have to keep our fingers crossed.
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