Analysis: ISRO Scientist Exodus – Talent Retention Challenge

Reports indicate over 100 scientists and engineers, many linked to Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan, and LVM3, have resigned or sought VRS in recent months. Approximately 80 from URSC Bengaluru, more than 20 from VSSC have exited. Key exits include project directors like Victor Joseph. The Department of Space has issued a memo tightening rules - centre directors can no longer routinely approve exits for critical mission personnel. All cases now require DoS approval.Attrition has long been a challenge for ISRO. Official records indicate that approximately 700 employees resigned between 2012 and 2024. Earlier, nearly half of the agency’s new recruits reportedly left between 2004 and 2007, highlighting a recurring pattern of talent turnover across different phases of the organisation’s growth.

This brain drain highlights the double-edged sword of India’s space liberalisation. Thriving private players e.g., Skyroot offer higher pay and agility, luring talent ISRO nurtured over decades. While ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan acknowledged the issue but expressed confidence in replacements, systemic factors—stagnant career progression, mission delays, and bureaucratic hurdles—risk eroding institutional expertise at a pivotal time for human spaceflight and lunar goals. The policy shift reverses 2020 decentralisation, indicating urgency, but long-term solutions demand competitive compensation, faster promotions, and hybrid public-private models. Without addressing root causes, India’s strategic edge in space could face delays, underscoring the need for a balanced ecosystem where ISRO remains the innovation core.