Dr. V. Narayanan has been appointed as the new Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), effective from January 14, 2025. He will succeed Mr. S. Somanath, whose tenure saw several landmark achievements in India's space exploration programme.
Currently serving as the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala, Kerala, Dr. Narayanan has been with ISRO since 1984 and has held key roles in advancing the country’s space capabilities. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet confirmed his new position with an official order, stating, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of V. Narayanan, Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Valiamala as Secretary, Department of Space, and Chairman, Space Commission for a period of two years with effect from 14.01.2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”
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A renowned expert in rocket and spacecraft propulsion, Narayanan has made significant contributions to several critical ISRO missions. His early work focused on solid and liquid propulsion for Sounding Rockets, Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicles (ASLV), and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV). Additionally, he played a pivotal role in the development of India’s geosynchronous launch vehicles, including GSLV Mk-II and GSLV Mk-III.
Narayanan also served as Chairman of the National Expert Committee tasked with studying the reasons behind the hard-landing of Chandrayaan-2. His findings and the subsequent corrective measures helped pave the way for the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission. Under his leadership, LPSC delivered 164 liquid propulsion systems for 41 launch vehicles and 31 spacecraft missions in the last five years alone.
An alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, Narayanan earned his M.Tech in Cryogenic Engineering with first rank in 1989, followed by a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering. He was instrumental in making India one of only six countries worldwide with advanced cryogenic propulsion capabilities, positioning ISRO as a global leader in this domain.
In addition to his technical achievements, Narayanan has been recognised with several prestigious awards, including a Gold Medal from the Astronautical Society of India (ASI), the ASI Award for Rocket and Related Technologies, and a Silver Medal from IIT Kharagpur.
As Dr. Narayanan takes on his new responsibilities, he brings with him decades of expertise and a vision for expanding India’s presence in space exploration. His appointment follows the successful leadership of Mr. Somanath, under whom major missions like Chandrayaan-3, Aditya L1, and the first developmental flight of Gaganyaan were launched. With Narayanan at the helm, ISRO’s ambitious plans for the future are set to reach even greater heights.
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