Isro Chairman K Sivan gets one-year extension till January 2022

The government has extended by a year the tenure of K Sivan as chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), a move that’ll ensure continuity in opening up the space sector to private players and startups.

The appointments committee of the union cabinet approved the extension to January 2022, according to a note released on Wednesday.

Sivan, who took over as Isro chairman in January 2018, has led the space agency's efforts to allow private firms and startups to build rockets and satellites and operate them for customers.


Isto will focus on research and development, deep space missions and the human spaceflight, while shifting the operational remote sensing and communication satellites, besides the rockets to New Space India Ltd., a state-run commercial entity.

The regulatory body Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (In-Space) is being formed to provide a level playing field to the industry.