ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan Honoured with G.P. Birla Memorial Award for Contributions to India’s Space Programme.
Awards
On 25 July 2025, Dr. V. Narayanan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space, was conferred the esteemed G.P. Birla Memorial Award in Hyderabad. Presented by Nirmala Birla, Chairperson of the G.P. Birla Archaeological, Astronomical & Scientific Research Institute, the award honours his leadership in advancing India’s cryogenic and space missions.
- Dr. Narayanan assumed office as ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space on 13 January 2025, succeeding Dr. S. Somanath. A veteran propulsion specialist with over four decades at ISRO, his expertise lies in cryogenic engineering and rocket technology.
- An alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, Dr. Narayanan holds an M.Tech in Cryogenic Engineering and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering. Earlier, he served as Director of ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) from 2018 to 2025, where he led the development of critical propulsion systems for missions like Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and Gaganyaan.
Main Point :- (i) The G.P. Birla Memorial Award, formerly known as the Lifetime Achievement Award, is reserved for eminent scientists and engineers whose work has significantly impacted science and technology. Past recipients include notable figures such as Nobel laureate Dr. Venkataraman Ramakrishnan, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and former ISRO Chairman Dr. K. Kasturirangan.
(ii) During the ceremony in Hyderabad, Dr. Narayanan delivered the G.P. Birla Memorial Lecture on Indian Space Programme. He outlined India’s vision to nearly triple the number of satellites in orbit—from around 55 to over 150—within three years, and reaffirmed ISRO's global ambitions in space technology.
(iii) This recognition underscores India’s growing prowess in space exploration and innovation. Under Dr. Narayanan’s leadership, ISRO plans to execute missions like NASA‑ISRO NISAR, the completion of Gaganyaan’s test flights, and pave the way for India’s first space station module by 2028 and a full-fledged station by 2035.
About ISRO
Chairman: V. Narayanan
Headquarters: Bengaluru
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