Who is Dr V Narayanan? The new ISRO chief

Dr. V. Narayanan has been appointed as the next chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space. He will succeed S. Somnath, who has led the organisation since January 2022, on January 14, 2025.

Narayanan, a distinguished scientist with nearly four decades of experience, is currently the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala, Kerala. LPSC is one of ISRO’s major centres, specializing in the development of liquid, semi-cryogenic, and cryogenic propulsion stages for launch vehicles, as well as chemical and electric propulsion systems for satellites.

Narayanan’s journey at ISRO began in 1984, and he has held several critical positions within the organisation, becoming a recognized expert in rocket and spacecraft propulsion. His early work focused on the Solid Propulsion area, contributing to Sounding Rockets and launch vehicles like the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

He completed his M.Tech in Cryogenic Engineering from IIT-Kharagpur in 1989, where he secured first rank. Narayanan went on to work in the Cryogenic Propulsion area at LPSC, playing a key role in the development of cryogenic propulsion stages for ISRO's Geosynchronous Launch Vehicles (GSLV), including the GSLV Mk-II and GSLV Mk-III. Under his leadership, LPSC developed the Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) for the GSLV Mk-II vehicle, significantly enhancing India’s self-reliance in high-performance cryogenic propulsion systems.

Narayanan’s contributions to India’s space program extend beyond propulsion systems. He played a critical role in the development of the C25 Cryogenic Stage for the GSLV Mk-III, a key component for launching heavier payloads, including satellites and space exploration missions. His team delivered the propulsion systems for India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission, and he contributed to the successful development and testing of systems for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

As a vital member of the Indian Human Space Flight (Gaganyaan) program, Dr. Narayanan is working on the human-rating of cryogenic stages and the development of propulsion modules for the crew and service modules. He is also leading the development of a semi-cryogenic propulsion system to enhance the payload capabilities of future Indian heavy-lift rockets.

Dr. Narayanan earned his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from IIT-Kharagpur in 2001. His academic work on cryogenic rocket engines and thrust regulation systems has been directly applied in the development of ISRO’s cryogenic propulsion technologies. He has received numerous awards, including the Gold Medal from the Astronautical Society of India (ASI), the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Kharagpur in 2018, and the National Design Award in 2019.

He is an esteemed member of several prestigious institutions, including the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE), and the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI). Dr. Narayanan has authored over 1,200 internal reports, 50 journal and conference papers, and several book chapters. He has also delivered numerous keynote speeches, including convocation addresses at leading engineering institutions like IITs and NITs.