Project Management Practices at ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is the pioneer space exploration agency of the Government of India, headquartered at Bengaluru. Throughout the years, ISRO achievements have been appreciated globally. In the process, it has become one of the six largest space agencies in the world.

This article reveals the insights of project management practices at ISRO. Here Shri S. Nambi Narayanan explains how ISRO projects were successfully accomplished - through strategic project vision, focus, courage, emotional bonding, and effective project management techniques.

The project management foundations that built ISRO

Establishing a project vision is one of the most important steps in project management. A vision helps you create plans, set goals & objectives and make decisions. It also helps you make the right coalition – one’s that will help your project get off the ground.

Dr. Vikram Sarabhai - the chairman of ISRO gave us the first space vision. He was a visionary scientist who envisaged that knowledge of space could do a lot of good for the country and we should achieve self-reliance. He was visualizing not only sending rockets but also the experiments associated with high altitude…visualizing rockets particularly the small size.

The success of SLV-3 and India's space programme demonstrates that when projects are well focused and shaped by a clear long-term vision – the goal can be achieved easily.

ISRO – Invest in project outcomes, not merely meeting targets

Emotional bonding and sense of ownership enhance the project success rate. It helps you deal a challenging project more effectively and strategically.

Dr. Sarabhai, Dr. Dhawan and Prof. Rao not only had built-in leadership qualities but also had an emotional bonding towards the project. With semi-set goals, complete focus on the obstacles, a great ownership culture – these leaders were able to launch one of the largest communications and weather satellite in the Asia-Pacific Region - INSAT 2.

ISRO - Project Management is about maximizing results with minimal resources

If you want to achieve your project management objectives - transform your fear into action. Failure is indeed a stepping stone to success provided you learn from your mistakes.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) wanted to scale new heights with its first independently developed cryogenic engine. However, while working on ISRO cryogenic engine the ISRO management team faced a lot of difficulties. The team practically burnt their fingers in the aniline nitric acid combination. Yet, with a series of failures, the project management team was able to achieve a series of successes.

Today, ISRO cryogenic engine is certainly better as compared to that of the Americans but inferior to that of the Russians. However, ISRO achievements are praiseworthy because of the effort the team has put in.

ISRO Vikas Engine – ‘’Know Why’’ is far more important than ‘’Know How’’

An in-depth understanding of the project and its outcome are essential. It gives a sense of purpose and direction.

ISRO Vikas engine management had planned a ‘Know Why’ key project, within the ‘Know How’ project. This ‘Know Why’ project helped the team yield the required results.

To build a testing facility for any rocket it would cost Rs 100 crore, so it was decided that Vikas engine would be taken to SEP, France. Eventually, ISRO had their own engineers working in France for many years. Their hands-on experience in technology and in-depth project knowledge further made Vikas engine a highly proficient machine. Today, the ISRO Vikas engine is on every rocket that India launches, whether it is PSLV, Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan or the GSLV.

ISRO stands as one of the world’s finest space research organization. From a country who depended on other nation to launch satellites, India and its space programmes have reached a point where they can launch their own satellites from their own launch points.

Project management practices at ISRO are second to none. A thorough study on ISRO will help you reveal the importance of project management planning and execution.

Gizel Gomes is a content writer for a digital advertising agency. With a passion for reading and writing, she hopes to provide the community with her insight on different project management tips, techniques & methodologies.