Between 100-120 scientists quit in recent months, with 80 alone from Bengaluru’s U R Rao Satellite Centre. The government says it’s ‘routine attrition’. But these aren’t junior engineers; they’re mission directors. Meanwhile, a new private operator will now run the ₹986 crore Kulasekarapattinam spaceport, with ISRO limited to ‘technical guidance’ for just a year. No one’s answered whether IN-SPACe even has the legal power to hand over public assets like this. And here’s the irony: the same government betting ₹1,400 crore on private space firms hasn’t increased pay or retention for ISRO’s core staff. If ISRO burns out its talent, who will the private sector hire next? The space economy may grow; but not if the pipeline dries up.