After witnessing a steep decline in exits from the past five years, ISRO witnesses that graduates of space science across India are willing to take up an exciting career in the field of science and research. On an average, around 150,000 applications are received for postings every year in the organization where 300- 400 candidates are finalized on the basis of merit and their determination towards space science in the long term as scientists.

Earlier, ISRO was losing out many young scientists and scholars to the IT industry and other lucraAtive sectors which the youngsters diverted to such as making careers abroad; ISRO has been able to retain its employees from the past five years. During this decade the space organization has initiated double hiring with its stakeholders, to enhance the capacity to launch more satellites.

K. Radhakrishna, Chairman, ISRO, says, "Voluntary attrition rate is coming down substantially as many of those who have joined in the recent years are interested in a career in space science, as they find it too fascinating and exciting to pursue. We have been able to maintain our human capital at 16,000-17,000 people despite retirements and exits, as we were able to hire about 3,400 science/engineer graduates and research scholars since 1999-2000 from across states with attractive pay package."

After the successful launch of Chandrayan –I, the moon mission, many science graduates are inclined to pursue space science for a prospective career. To convince to the students that a career in space science is rewarding, ISRO organized a space summit where over 1000 science graduates and scholars from across the country were invited for an interaction with scientists.

ISRO conducts an exchange programs with other space agencies which is attracting NRI scientists and many of its former employees from overseas too. A university has been set up in Thiruvananthpuram to mentor science and engineering graduates promising them for a bright future.