Mumbai: After several abortive bids, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Sunday successfully launched a geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV-D5) with an indigenous cryogenic engine from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, marking India’s entry into a select club of nations.

After the launch vehicle placed the 1,982kg GSAT-14 satellite into orbit, Isro became the sixth space agency—after those of the US, Russia, Japan, China and France—to taste success with an indigenous cryogenic engine, which is fuelled by gases liquefied and stored at very low temperatures. Launching the GSLV with an indigenous cryogenic engine has been a major challenge for Isro since 2001. The launch of the geostationary satellite GSAT-14 on board the GSLV-D5 was originally slated for 19 August, but it was called off during the last lap of the countdown after scientists spotted a leakage in the fuel tank of the second stage. The incident resulted in a delay of about five months in the launch of the GSLV-D5. GSAT-14 is now set to join a group of nine Indian geostationary satellites. The primary objective of the mission is to augment the in-orbit capacity of extended C and Ku-band transponders and provide a platform for new experiments. K. Radhakrishnan, chairman of Isro, said the launch was the culmination of two decades of efforts that were particularly intensive in the last three-and-a-half years.

Experts feel the success of the launch, which came after Isro conducted a failure analysis and took corrective steps, holds important lessons for Indian firms. Excerpts from interviews:

MADHUKAR VINAYAK KOTWAL, whole-time director and president (heavy engineering), Larsen and Toubro Ltd

“The first and foremost lesson that India Inc. should learn from Isro’s successful launch of GSLV-D5 is their positive attitude despite some failures. I have come across many organizations which take failures in a negative way," says Kotwal. L&T is India’s largest engineering and construction firm. Kotwal says such organizations, when analysing failures, are often more keen to pin the blame on a person rather than find its root cause and take preventive steps. “It is more important to understand what went wrong rather than who caused the problem. Otherwise, a defensive approach can develop which will not help in the long run, especially in research and development (R&D)-oriented programmes of strategic significance," he says.

Kotwal was co-chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s national committee on defence and a member of the Vijay Kelkar committee tasked with advising the Union government on restructuring defence production.

Secondly, Indian companies should also take a cue from Isro’s perseverance and sense of commitment in the face of hurdles, he says. “Such failures did not deter Isro from going ahead with the project. Now India has entered a select club of nations which have this capability. Therefore, failures should not cause companies to take off their focus from their broader strategy," Kotwal says. Thirdly, many companies are hesitant to spend money on R&D if they face a few failures, Kotwal says, adding: “Isro’s successful experimentation shows us that if a project is part of its main strategy, the company should go ahead with the necessary mid-course corrections, taking successes and failures in its stride as a part of the journey."

Lastly, it is important to celebrate even relatively small successes, especially in areas of science and technology, so as to motivate and inspire younger people to take up careers in such areas. “Such an approach, if suitably supported by the media too, will go a long way in innovative application of technology at all levels, to the long-term benefit of our nation. Organizations like Isro, which are playing a vital role in this direction, must be given the necessary budgetary support so that the industry too can look forward to a much higher level of participation in large, technologically challenging, strategically important projects in future," Kotwal adds.

AMBER DUBEY, partner and head (aerospace and defence), andKunal Sinha, senior consultant, KPMG

“Isro’s successful launch of the GSLV-D5 with an indigenous cryogenic engine holds important lessons for India. A bold and visionary leadership, a never-say-die attitude, humility to learn from failures, close collaboration with private sector, frugal engineering, etc., have all contributed to this great milestone," says Dubey. Isro is now planning to launch German and British satellites, other than its own. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the US and Isro will now be jointly developing a satellite with synthetic aperture radar for earth observations, Dubey says.

Dubey and Sinha list out key lessons from the achievement:

1. It starts at the top: Isro has been blessed with bold, upright and visionary leaders such as Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan and U.R. Rao to name a few, who have shaped a culture of excellence in the organization. A culture of openness, risk-taking and a high standard of accountability have permeated right through the organization. Decision-making was fast and the Union government was highly supportive. Great inspiration for Indian companies planning large projects of global standards, especially those in the government sector.

2. Frugal engineering: The success showcases India as the hub of frugal engineering, which creates similar or greater value at lower costs. This will help in winning global orders. Great inspiration for Indian design companies involved in nanotechnology, 3D printing, automotive and defence, IT and telecom, metals and composites, etc.

3. No public, no private; only Indian: Isro has a robust 30-year-old partnership with Indian industry, including micro, small and medium enterprises. It has steered clear of the “public vs private sector" debate in a sensitive sector such as space technology. Hundreds of companies of all sizes work with Isro to manufacture important components. The launch is a great inspiration for Indian public sector units in defence, railways, aviation, energy, etc., to leverage the best that the Indian private sector has to offer.

4. Focus on global quality standards:At Isro, every mission design goes through multiple reviews—preliminary design review, comprehensive design review, peer review, etc.—which help in detecting and rectifying flaws early on. Being honest about mistakes and learning from failures has shown Isro to be a thinking organization that desires global quality. Isro is also strategically focused—picking on the niche market of two-tonne satellites—rather than spreading itself thin. Great inspiration for Indian corporations looking at the global export market in engineering, pharmaceutical, IT and telecom products.

5. When the going gets tough, the tough get going: Adversity brings out the best and worst in organizations and people. When Russia went back on its word under US pressure and denied India cryogenic engine technology in 1993, Isro, instead of giving up, believed in itself and fought. Today, two decades on, it has joined a select club of six nations who have the capability to develop their own cryogenic engines. The launch will inspire Indian organizations involved in the development and operation of nuclear, missile, aeronautical and defence products, where technology transfer by developed nations is heavily restricted due to strategic and commercial reasons.

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