ISRO may be borrowing a chapter from NASA, as it seeks to hand over its more routine space-related activities to the private sector, so that it can focus more on R&D and on more advanced missions to the Moon and Mars:
http://zeenews.india.com/news/space/isro-mulling-hiving-off-satellite-production-to-industry_783612.htmlThe PSLV is India's veteran workhorse launch vehicle, and ISRO intends to spin off its production to private sector partners, which will free up ISRO to focus on newer-generation launch vehicles like the GSLV-MarkIII.
Will this eventually result in India getting its own SpaceX or ULA, through the full privatization of launch operations?
I think that the Indian private sector are capable of much greater cost efficiencies than the Indian public sector, which could produce significant advantages for taxpayers and other launch customers.
Antrix is ISRO's commercial arm, but it's still wholly owned by the govt of India. It was created mainly to market ISRO's capabilities and services to the rest of the world. Antrix doesn't launch anything.
The privatization scenario I'm talking about would make ISRO a customer or consumer of products/services which could be supplied from the private sector. ISRO would be outsourcing its needs to these commercial providers, who could also directly fulfill needs for other customers from around the world.
ISRO-developed platforms like the PSLV could be spun off to private companies which would manufacture and use them to provide services to their customers. ISRO as the developer could provide technical support and troubleshooting help to the private operators, and perhaps this could even be done through its Antrix commercial arm.
I'm hopeful that this will allow ISRO to focus on what it should be doing most - ie. pure science, R&D, farther-reaching missions, etc - while private sector players can do what they do best - compete in the marketplace, bid for commercial contracts, offer enhanced products and services, innovate, improve cost efficiencies, more value for money, etc.
If Indian companies can successfully compete in the field of IT, then I don't see why they can't do so in the field of space technology.
If Indian companies can successfully compete in the field of IT, then I don't see why they can't do so in the field of space technology.
Because they are totally different fields. Being a good football player doesn't mean one can be a good cricket player