The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the national space agency of India, a government institution headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and the principal research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS). Its origin traces back to the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), which was set up in 1962 based on the vision of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. ISRO was formally established on August 15, 1969, superseding INCOSPAR to institutionalize space research and harness space technology for national development, such as communication, meteorology, and resource monitoring.
ISRO functions under the administrative control of the DoS, which is overseen by the Prime Minister, with the ISRO Chairman also serving as the Secretary of the DoS. Its mechanism involves a network of specialized centers, including the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) for launch vehicle development and the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) for satellite design. ISRO develops and operates major space systems like the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), alongside satellite constellations such as the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system for communication and the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites.
ISRO is closely connected to the DoS and its commercial arms, Antrix Corporation Limited and the newer NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), which was incorporated on March 6, 2019. A significant recent change is the establishment of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), which acts as a regulator to enable Indian industries to participate in high-technology space activities. Furthermore, the scope of the Gaganyaan human spaceflight program was revised in October 2024 to include a total of eight missions, with the first crewed mission targeted for 2027-28.