V. Narayanan, who is set to take over as ISRO Chairman, terms his new assignment ‘a great responsibility’

V. Narayanan, rocket propulsion expert, to lead ISRO with focus on expanding India's space presence and collaborations.

V. Narayanan, a noted rocket and spacecraft propulsion expert, is set to succeed S. Somanath as the next Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at a time when India’s space sector is in reform-mode and the national space agency has major projects lined up including the Gaganyaan human spaceflight, the Chandrayaan-4 mission and the development of the country’s own space station.

Speaking to The Hindu on Wednesday (January 8, 2025), Dr. Narayanan, who has been heading the ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) since January 2018, described his upcoming assignment as a “great responsibility” as well as a “great opportunity to follow in the footsteps of stalwarts who led the ISRO over the decades.”

Given the ISRO’s busy calendar for 2025, Dr. Narayanan is quite aware that he has little to no time to rest on his laurels. “Towards January-end we have the GSLV Mk-II/IRNSS-1 K mission. We also have lined up the first of the uncrewed flights of the Gaganyaan programme, the G-1 mission, as well as a commercial launch using the LVM3 launch vehicle,” he said. “These apart, there are several experiments related to the Gaganyaan programme. So you see, we have our hands full,” he said.

High-profile programmes in the ISRO’s to-do list include the Chandrayaan-4 moon mission, the development of India’s own space station, the Bharatiya Antariksha Station, a second mission to Mars and the maiden Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM). While all of this may not happen during Dr. Narayanan’s tenure, the space agency has kicked off preparations.

As per the Union Cabinet’s Appointments’ Committee decision, Dr. Narayanan will take over as Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Space Commission, “for a period of two years” from January 14, 2025.

Dr. Narayanan, who who was born into a humble farming family in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, brings a ton of experience to the Chairman’s post, having joined the space agency in 1984 and worked in one of its core areas - rocket propulsion.

Increasing India’s presence in space tops his list of priorities, according to Dr. Narayanan. This is also an area where the space sector reforms that were set in motion a few years ago by opening it up to private players will play a vital role, he said.