Former group director of ISRO Suresh Naik on Friday revealed this in a press conference arranged to organise the launch of Pune chapter of National Space Society (NSS). “The ISRO is willing to outsource the work as much as possible. Interestingly, two industries from Pune, which manufacture machines related to rockets, have already contacted me. The NSS can act as a platform on which the two stakeholders can interact,” said Naik.

“We are looking at the involvement of entrepreneurs may be as a technology provider to ISRO,” said Naik. “The Pune chapter will act as a bridge between the commoners, space enthusiasts, industry people and the ISRO,” he added.

The Pune chapter of NSS will be officially launched on March 10. NSS is headquartered in Washington D.C. and is an international nonprofit, educational and scientific organisation specialising in space advocacy. It has a strong network of 50 chapters in the US and other parts of the globe with a membership base of over 12000 space enthusiasts.

Naik, Sandeep Joshi, MD of Guardian Education, which is the official ambassador of NASA's 'Space Camp' at the US Space and Rocket Center and also for Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Leena Bokil, Honeywell Educator and Alumna - NASA, have come together to form Pune chapter of NSS. This will be only second branch of the NSS in India, first being in Kolkata.

"The NSS will arrange seminars on various space related subjects and tours to ISRO besides being a bridge between ISRO and entrepreneurs," said Joshi. "The membership will be given at three levels - students, teachers and entrepreneurs," he said.