# ISRO not being privatised, says chairman Narayanan 2026-10-25T01:07:36+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets ISRO chairman V Narayanan said on Saturday, 24 October 2026, that the space agency will not be privatised, though some operations will be handled by the private sector on a commercial basis. Speaking at a graduation ceremony at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, he said the Indian Space Policy 2023 envisions ISRO handholding startups and private companies to expand the space ecosystem, and that 75% of the budget for each PSLV or GSLV launch goes to private industry. The Times of India reports that by 2029 India will have four operational launch pads, including the third one at Sriharikota and the SSLV complex at Kulasekarapattinam. The first rocket from the SSLV complex is expected in 2027. Narayanan also said the first uncrewed Gaganyaan test will be conducted within two months, with three uncrewed tests planned before a crewed mission. The Hindu adds that Chandrayaan-4, planned for 2028, will land on the Moon and return with a sample. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both outlets report Narayanan's denial of privatisation identically, but The Times of India leads with the expansion to four launch pads by 2029, while The Hindu foregrounds the reassurance that ISRO stays government-owned. The Times of India also adds detail on the Chandrayaan-5 collaboration with Japan, absent from The Hindu's account. The uniform element is Narayanan's framing of private-sector involvement as ecosystem building, not privatisation. Neither outlet presents any counter-argument or questioning from reporters. The concrete watch item remains the first uncrewed Gaganyaan test, expected within two months. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - thehindu.com (neutral report) Leads with denial of privatisation, quotes chairperson directly - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Leads with launch pad expansion, includes private sector role This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Tags: Chandrayaan-4, Gaganyaan, ISRO, Kulasekarapattinam, Sriharikota, V Narayanan Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/isro-not-being-privatised-says-chairman-narayanan/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/isro-not-being-privatised-says-chairman-narayanan/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/