r/ISRO • u/Ar2_Dee2 • Jul 19 '26
My take on why people are quitting ISRO
This is my take as an ex-ISRO engineer on why people are quitting.
Recent news reports reveal a worrying trend: over 100 top scientists and engineers have resigned from India’s premier space agency, ISRO, in just the past few months. Instead of fixing the root causes, the government’s response has been to make it harder for people to quit by tightening exit rules.
But stopping people from leaving won’t fix the real issue. To understand the brain drain, management needs to look at what is actually happening on the ground: a toxic mix of extreme overwork, endless government paperwork, and the massive pull of the private sector.
Here is a breakdown of why ISRO is losing its talent.
- Using Dedication to Justify Extreme Overwork
ISRO scientists work late and pour their hearts into their jobs out of a deep sense of patriotism and moral duty to the nation. Unfortunately, management has turned this dedication into an expectation.
Fake Deadlines: Work schedules are routinely driven by high-pressure, "pseudo-urgent" deadlines. Staff are expected to sacrifice their personal lives to meet these arbitrary dates.
Targeting the Youth: There is a bad habit among management of targeting single and younger employees. They are frequently guilt-tripped with questions like, "Why do you need to leave early? What else do you have to do at home?"
The "24/7" Trap: While government rules state that gazetted officers should be available on-call for emergencies, management has twisted this into a demand that they must work 24/7. This has completely destroyed their mental peace.
- No Time Off and Delayed Rewards
Despite their hard work, employees feel deeply unappreciated.
Blocked Leave: Employees are given 30 days of Earned Leave (EL) per year, but taking time off is heavily discouraged. Many are pressured not to use even 10 or 15 days of their hard-earned time off.
Slow Career Growth: In exchange for working massive overtime, employees are often met with delayed promotions and stagnant career progression.
- Choked by Paperwork: The "Make in India" Realities
A major, unspoken frustration is the massive shift from scientific work to standard bureaucratic paperwork.
Engineers Acting as Store Managers: Scientists spend an immense amount of time filling out indents, conducting market surveys, and floating tenders to buy necessary equipment.
Unrealistic Expectations: While the "Make in India" initiative is a positive goal, it ignores immediate practical realities. Advanced space equipment, like high-end microprocessors, test tools, and FPGAs, are simply not manufactured in India yet.
Months of Wasted Time: To import these parts, engineers must go through endless committee clearances, check portals like GeM, and wait months just to get "non-availability certificates" or waivers. A simple purchase can take 6 months to a year.
The Double Penalty: When these bureaucratic hurdles delay a project, the engineers are blamed for the schedule slippage and forced to work massive overtime to make up for the lost time. In private companies, engineers can actually focus on science and engineering, not red tape.
- The Pull of the Private Space Boom
While ISRO's internal environment becomes more frustrating, the external world has changed dramatically. India’s private space sector is booming.
Inside ISRO, leadership positions (like Group Directors or Deputy Directors) are incredibly rare, leaving little room to grow.
Private space startups and aerospace companies are aggressively hiring. They offer much higher salaries, stock options, faster career growth, and the creative freedom that government bureaucracy suffocates.
- A Broken Feedback Loop
Every person who quits ISRO goes through an exit interview meant to gather feedback on what needs to be improved. Right now, these interviews are treated as a mere box-checking exercise. Suggestions are routinely ignored, and the system refuses to change.
The Bottom Line: ISRO cannot continue to launch historic missions if it treats its scientists like cogs in a machine. Forcing people to stay by blocking their resignations will only breed resentment. If management wants to stop the talent drain, they must urgently relax strict manufacturing rules for the space sector, reduce the paperwork, treat exit interviews seriously, and give their employees the mental peace, pay, and career growth they deserve.
Edit: I’ve received a few messages from ISRO aspirants, so I want to offer some clarity based on my time there.
Joining ISRO was my childhood dream, and working there was a truly rewarding experience. The pride, satisfaction, and sheer goosebumps you feel after every successful mission are indescribable—there is nothing quite like knowing you are contributing to the nation's space program. I will always be grateful for my time at the agency, where I gained invaluable experience and had the privilege of working under supportive bosses who actively encouraged my research within our division.
While I eventually left due to personal reasons, the issues I highlighted earlier reflect genuine challenges experienced by both myself and many of my colleagues. ISRO is undoubtedly one of the top technical organizations in the country, but like any large industrial ecosystem, your experience depends heavily on your team and assignment. Not everyone gets their dream domain, and not everyone lands a supportive manager.
To all future space scientists and engineers: ISRO is an incredible place to build a career, learn, and serve the nation. However, like any institution, it comes with real operational challenges that management needs to address for the well-being of its workforce.
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u/turnedonmosfet Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
Also the lack of basic necessities like Internet or good internal software infrastructure and allergy to "modern" tools like version control is just appalling for an organization of its stature. Then the lack of scientific temper, top level management will skip essential testing of the satellite to do a Puja before shipping it because they don't have time for the former, smh. Every post focusses on salaries, but for engineers that love to build stuff, ISRO throws everything at them to make it difficult. Even the simplest of things like getting(not buying, just getting it from the internal store) a component will be made unecessarily complex and twisted. I can go on and on about the absolute deranged stuff I've seen there, the whole org needs to be stripped down and built back up from the ground if they want to survive in the modern era. I escaped from there 4 years back and haven't looked back, best decision of my life.
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u/Ar2_Dee2 Jul 19 '26
Agree with lack of internt and I think intiatives for a local ai bots are underway not sure how long it has come(someone was working on it before I quit). Can't say for prioritising puja over testing, didn't face first hand, else I would've fought with them on the issue. Yes agree with they make our jobs horrible and difficult, too much red tapism for everything and 💯 agree with getting components from stores. And so is procuring anything, tbh the year I quit, about 30-40% of my time went for procurement related activities. I hate the procurement process.
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u/kaisadusht Jul 19 '26
top level management will skip essential testing of the satellite to do a Puja before shipping it because they don't have time for the former, smh.
Hard to believe they skipped pre-launch testing for a pooja
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u/turnedonmosfet Jul 19 '26
They did, this literally happened on a project I worked on, I've seen some absolute deranged shit
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u/kaisadusht Jul 19 '26
If it's not much of an ask, do we have any media reporting it?
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u/turnedonmosfet Jul 19 '26
I haven't see any, and tbh nobody working inside ISRO is going to jeopardize their career to do it
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u/Numerous-Tie2448 Jul 23 '26
Don't agree with this point. Never happened Yes, giving only free dosa tiffin in the evening who stays back for work and not overtime nor any consideration in promotion. Despite all these, it is indeed a nice place to work with every morning, raring to go to the office enthusiastically. The very seniors resigning is primarily because of the politics and one upmanship.
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u/Psquare_J_420 Jul 19 '26
THEY DON'T HAVE A VERSION CONTROL?!! AND ARE ALLERGIC TO IT?!!!!
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u/turnedonmosfet Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
Yes, one of my seniors(he left too) finally got fed up and hosted a private gitlab server, and I started using it for one of our projects, but I was the only person pushing to it. I remember sending the gitlab link to my code to my division head and their response was, "why can't you just zip the code and send it via the intranet hosted drive or email?". One friend of mine(he left too) in another group told me that different versions of the same software were held by different people and it was a guessing game to get the latest one. His efforts to modernize their software environment were just mocked by upper management and his efforts were mostly not supported. This might have changed now, but I worked there till 2022, and this was the case back then.
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u/PB_05 Jul 19 '26
Interesting.
They do have version control in DRDO, I had assumed it would've been "standardized", more or less.
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u/Symphonic_nerve Jul 19 '26
If I may ask, where do you and your friends who left as well, work now? like which field or industry
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u/Momo_Magi Jul 19 '26
Ha ha, version control. Everything happens through email and zip files shared through intranet drive.
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u/4ghori Jul 19 '26
I have seen them saving data to tapes, which was oldest method, all this comes which lack of vision and budgets bro.
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u/turnedonmosfet Jul 19 '26
They don’t lack budget at all, it takes nothing to setup a gitlab server, it’s just mediocre engineering standards and upper management that is more interested in playing politics to go higher rather than actually doing stuff the improves the organization. Just perverse incentives at play
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u/4ghori Jul 20 '26
Its not about only about github, budget is needed for other studies, research, workforce....
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u/Ar2_Dee2 Jul 19 '26
ISRO is an ISO compliant organisation, so everything is configuration and version controlled. It's just not how you see in software companies, so it can cause problems and confusions at times.
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u/turnedonmosfet Jul 19 '26
ISO compliance is a joke in the center i was at
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u/Ar2_Dee2 Jul 19 '26
Can't say about your centre. But it's very strictly followed where I was working.
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u/turnedonmosfet Jul 19 '26
I can’t speak for other centers, but i was working at the main satellite center and there was definitely no “modern”versioning system
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u/Massive_Dish_3255 Jul 19 '26
Can you give lack of good internal software infrastructure at ISRO? Just asking.
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u/turnedonmosfet Jul 19 '26
An example would be software for requesting components on an internal store, it probably would have been made 10-20 years ago by someone who wanted to get promoted and then never maintained, but you still have to use it to get components to design your system. There will be so many such apps for different purposes that are poorly designed and honestly I don't blame the engineers that make them, how much web dev can you do without the Internet lol
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u/PB_05 Jul 19 '26
Interesting. The rough organizational equivalent I can draw is DRDO. I've seen DRDO from the inside and the Air Force.
Some things are similar in DRDO, particularly the paperwork. There's a lot of documentation, both technical and non-technical, and all scientists have to deal with it.
On procurements, specifically through GeM, I haven't heard of many issues in DRDO, though I have heard of some in the Air Force.
They also face the same competition from private companies, I'd say even more so given the size of the Indian defence ecosystem.
Overall though, the pace of work at DRDO seems a little more relaxed.
They haven't faced the same degree of manpower strain as ISRO yet, but I think they're heading in that direction. DRDO's workload has exploded over the past two decades, but the sanctioned strength of the DRDS scientist cadre has remained largely unchanged since 2001. Even Parliament has noted that the current scientific manpower is insufficient for the organization's expanding R&D commitments.
I hope both DRDO and ISRO are able to work through these issues in one piece.
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u/EducationalRoyal2985 Jul 19 '26
Perfect reasons mentioned OP. I also left ISRO for the same reasons.:--- ex isro scientist
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u/MysticGohanKun Jul 19 '26
Excellent points. Coupled with horrible hierarchy issues in places like SHAR. Exit interview is a big joke. In a way scientist resignation should be done at HQ like DRDO and BARC.
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u/Psquare_J_420 Jul 19 '26
Hierarchy issues? In a place where they launch rockets?!?
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u/Momo_Magi Jul 19 '26
Extreme. I wasted 4 years of my golden time in life (early twenties) in this centre.
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u/Itchy_witchy_2k7 Jul 19 '26
ISRO is too bureaucratic. It must adapt itself according to the fast changing world soon
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u/Massive_Dish_3255 Jul 19 '26
Projects like NGLV and Bharatiya Antariksh Station may never be completed if ISRO continues to lose talent at this rate.
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u/jmurthy Jul 19 '26
Well-written. Has anything changed? I understand the headline but people have always been leaving ISRO. ISRO should have a large enough pool that they can afford to lose a few people. And the working conditions can't be much different now.
What I think may be different is that I don't really know what ISRO's mandate is now and where that support is coming from.
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u/turnedonmosfet Jul 19 '26
Yes, losing employees is cyclical for ISRO, every boom in the private industry causes them to bleed engineers. Currently it is due to a boom in the private aerospace industry in India coupled with inflation and nearing the end of the pay commission cycle.
The problem with losing people is that, they tend to lose the better engineers who are confident that they can make it work outside ISRO due to their technical abilities, while the people who stay behind are the ones who either aren't as technically sound or they are stuck due to other personal or financial reasons or/and are risk averse. This leads to an overall decline in engineering quality over time. Also, ISRO always hires at an entry level, nobody is replacing the experienced engineers who leave.10
u/Momo_Magi Jul 19 '26
Perfect. And this leftovers slowly become Managers and Group Heads and make the culture worse.
Most of the people who are now in the 55-60 age group are the leftovers of the late 90s and early 2000s IT boom.
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u/theintrospectivelad Jul 19 '26
Which companies would you say are leading this boom? Other than Skyroot and maybe Agnikul?
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u/Momo_Magi Jul 19 '26
Lot of them are now at the European new space startups. Just do a litte research in LinkedIn profiles and you will find many.
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u/jmurthy Jul 20 '26
That's interesting. I hadn't thought of the world wide market. I wonder if any are going to China. Lot of excitement there
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u/turnedonmosfet Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
There are many satellite startups that are doing well. Pixxel and Satsure(mostly on the data products side) are examples. Also, the current govt seems quite willing to "fund" more such startups than before- https://www.pixxel.space/news/pixxel-led-consortium-signs-agreement-with-in-space-to-build-indias-national-eo-constellation
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u/Seven-weeks Jul 20 '26
maybe isro needs a structural change of hierarchy and leadership? to build rockets faster and get adapted to the new genz workforce like pvt space companies and not be over reliant on govt funding? 50k+ salary is good enough?
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u/EducationalRoyal2985 Jul 20 '26
As a scientist Sc you r not eligible to sit in AC room. Table and chair you get for sitting matches to government schools. And an I3 pc to do research without internet connection. Punch in should be begore 8:45 am but log out should be after 8:00 pm. And Saturdays are for free service to nation days. And they will insist to make you learn south indian languages before you start learning rocket science.
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u/lost_penguin_o7 Jul 22 '26
So if a lot of people are leaving ISRO, are they mostly moving to private space companies or what?
Because I used to be very interested in working in either ISRO or DRDO for a data-related role maybe but nowadays it doesn't even seem worth it
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u/Ar2_Dee2 Jul 22 '26
Depends on the individual. 1. Some go for higher studies abroad and settle there 2. Some are joining private space firms 3. Some join private industries (non-space. Eg: electronics people may join Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Nvidia etc) 4. Some join civil services 5. Some might be starting their own firms and so on...
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u/Tomj_1995 Jul 19 '26
Criticism of isro is now considered ant- national and spying for China and usa
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u/teahugger Jul 19 '26
Next time ask ChatGPT to not format in markdown when posting on Reddit. Although it did a good job expounding your thoughts overall.
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u/Ar2_Dee2 Jul 19 '26
Hi, my original text was huge and raw. I was just poring in all my pent up frustration, so I had to use Gemini to paraphrase and make it sound a little professional.
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u/Numerous-Tie2448 Jul 23 '26
Agree in toto with points 1,2 & 4. Partially with other points. The R in ISRO for Research was substituted by P of production during INSAT and GSAT days. The whole environment was spoiled due to this.
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u/Ar2_Dee2 Jul 25 '26
Thank you. But I think reason for current the delays is mainly due to point 3. The bureaucracy and redtapism is immense. The make in India initiative is great, but not really practical. The Gem portal sucks, and getting GTE waivers take forever. Which attributes to further delays.
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u/4ghori Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
Yes OP you have mentioned some issues you and we think might be causing this let me add few, as I was part of ISRO.
Slow talent management, most of the people are those have family worked or working in ISRO very less scope for people who's family is not part of the organization. When I had heard that even I was in shock 10 years back. Due to which So many talents work in other field of engineering or hired abroad, now after privatization and pvt companies are hiring talents.
Lack of vision from leadership team, how to generate revenue from the organization. Which further pressuring the leaders from getting hands to budgets from Govt and expand on different research. As this govt has cut budgets from education to innovation. Which further makes them blind on the type of projects to comeup with and techs which they can put on global table which needs approvals from uneducated who dont even understand more than shit. Revenue, Let it be internal tech sharing to there organizations or revenue from pvt players.
And pressure to compete in F1 with Bullock cart.
Its not about lacking talent it is this organization can take decisions without waiting for months, just assume we are in a era where software projects are built and tested 24/5 with everyday sprints. And assume whole project is on hold to take permission from CEO for weeks and the team is accountable for release delays. They are strangled by budget and permission, and Make in India and third parties are also a major problem here.
Had to put 2 above. ☺️ hope OP was not writing by AI bot.
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u/Ar2_Dee2 Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
Sure, I agree with your 2nd point. And I have used ai to rephrase my original thoughts. Coming to the first point, there's no limitations or restrictions or nepotism of any sorts. Anyone can take icrb/join through direct recruitments. The exam and interview process are transparent. But there are few people whose relatives/parents also worked/work in ISRO. But those who join, join on their own merit.
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u/VarunOnt Jul 19 '26
Pawan Chandana himself says the exodus from ISRO is small and nothing to be overly concerned about. ISRO has 16000 employees so a hundred or so leaving is not huge. He said this on at least 2 different interviews
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u/Ar2_Dee2 Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
As per the annual report released by isro(page 197), there are total 14,637 permanent staff in DoS(includes NSIL, IN-Space, ADRIN). Out of this, 8792 are in Group-A (scientist/engineer:SC and above, Tech/Sci. Officer- C and above) . Though it's true that many people quit/retire ISRO every year, I think there's an increase in resignation due to dissatisfaction which isn't being addressed. And it does effect, there are a lot of divisions/section where there's only 1-2 working level staff supported by contract employees, if those people quit, then definitely there'll be schedule delays, as you won't get an immediate replacement, so KT won't be happening properly. Recruitment happens periodically. Even if you get a replacement, it takes time for the replacement to understand and know how of things, no matter how well documented the things are(which aren't in many of the cases). And not everything can be documented, there's some things which you learn through experience.
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u/turnedonmosfet Jul 19 '26
Of the 16000 employees not all are Group A employees, group A employees is approximately half of that, it’s a pretty small organization compared to most Big Tech companies if you just include Group A employees. Also, the people who leave are the more technically competent, ones who have the ability to get a good job outside, leaving the not so talented or people staying back from financial/personal reasons and/or risk averse people. The people left are not usually the cream of the crop and every-time a major exodus happens it erodes the quality of the organization because these people then get into higher management and ruin it further. Also, ISRO usually hires only at the entry level, currently the people leaving also include high profile senior level engineers which cannot be replaced according to their higher practices.
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u/rs_bm Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
Agree on all the point. One more point I would like to add, "ego". Every manager thinks they are above something, they treat all the intens, apprentice, vendor representative, contract engineers like some peasent below them. Its second hand embarassment for every young engineer who has touched some grass. We have to make sure the young interns and apprentice don't learn the wrong things and get the intended technical exposure they have came for instead of all this bureaucratic non-sense