BJP rejects Congress’ charge of 'aggressive privatisation' in space sector, says ecosystem is expanding
Says the emerging national space ecosystem is not a weakening of ISRO’s legacy, but an expansion of India’s space ambitions
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday rejected the Congress' claim that the Narendra Modi government was aggressively privatizing the space sector in India. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari stated that the space program had evolved from a primarily government-led initiative to a broader ecosystem encompassing ISRO, private entities, and startups.
He highlighted that the number of foreign satellites launched by ISRO had increased from 35 before 2014 to 399 by January 2026, while the number of space startups grew from one in 2014 to 440 by August 2026. Private investment in the sector expanded from approximately $100.5 million in 2021-22 to nearly $3,000 crore in 2024-25, and the revenue of NewSpace India Limited, ISRO's commercial arm, grew more than eight-fold during the same period.
Bhandari emphasized that ISRO had provided India with a solid technological foundation, and the Modi government's reforms aimed to build upon this legacy by fostering collaboration between ISRO, private industry, startups, and investors. He noted that the emerging national space ecosystem represented an expansion, not a weakening, of ISRO's legacy, as it enabled India to pursue its space ambitions.
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