S. Somanath, the former chief of ISRO, indicated that software development within the organisation has consistently been an internal undertaking, managed by their own scientists and engineers from various fields, including environmental science, physics, and computer science. He stated that ISRO does not outsource critical software systems due to the necessity for a profound understanding of the integration between science, technology, and applications.
Speaking at the Software Product Management (SPM) Summit hosted by IIM Bangalore, Somanath noted that the two-day event, which took place on February 28 and March 1, marked its 7th edition under the theme of 'Software Product Management Excellence at Scale.' He elaborated on the evolution of software product management and development for space missions, highlighting the transition from missions focused primarily on environmental concerns to those featuring commercially operated systems.
He emphasised that all software developed for satellite operations, data analysis, and mission simulations is created in-house to guarantee accuracy, security, and scientific rigor. According to Somanath, ISRO has over the years implemented intricate software systems for various applications such as geospatial data portals, disaster management frameworks, and climate monitoring tools, all intended for use by governments, researchers, and the general public.
Somanath reflected on ISRO's journey in software product development, stating that it goes beyond basic coding; it involves converting raw scientific data into actionable insights. He mentioned that the organisation is now also looking to commercialise some of these tools, making them accessible to Indian institutions and industries to encourage innovation across different sectors.
Finally, he expressed his belief that India's advancements in space, technology, and sustainable development will rely heavily on a robust foundation in software excellence, which should be developed on a large scale and continually refined through ongoing learning and collaboration.
ALSO READ: ISRO scheduled to resume its SpaDeX experiments beginning March 15: V Narayanan
Inputs from PTI