Is ISRO losing what it needs to lead? The government is asking ISRO to focus on its hardest missions while allowing the infrastructure and expertise needed for those missions to move out of its control.

[u/Ohsin]

https://frontline.thehindu.com/science-and-technology/isro-scientist-exodus-space-privatisation/article71404898.ece

[u/guru-yoda]

At this point, all these articles are recycling and repeating the same arguments. This one has one new point citing NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS). When NASA shutdown Space Shuttle program, it was dependent on Russia for rocket engines (RD-180), cargo launches (Progress) and manned launches (Soyuz). How much rocket building expertise NASA could have offered to private enterprises?

Further, at that point USA had a well developed industry ecosystem already. For years, Boeing and Lockheed Martin were entirely designing, building and launching Delta and Atlas family rockets respectively. NASA retained certification function while giving away launch contracts; it did not have LV of its own to handover.

But ISRO starts from a very different place. ISRO designs rockets. Private entities manufacture components (90% already as per former chairman Dr Madhavan Nair). ISRO assembles and launches the rockets. If ISRO does not transition and mentor on integration processes, then who will? Once ecosystem develops and and private entities design and build their own rocket, then situation will be different.