Dr. V. Narayanan has been appointed as the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space. The official announcement was made through an order issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, dated 7 January 2025.

The order mentioned that he would assume the new roles on 14 January 2025 for a period of two years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Dr Narayanan will succeed S. Somnath who has served as the ISRO chief since January 2022 until his retirement.

Dr V Narayanan was born in Melakattuvilai village in Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu. He earned his MTech degree in Cryogenic Engineering with First Rank from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur in 1989 and later completed his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the same institution in 2001. He joined ISRO in 1984 and is currently serving as the Director of Liquid Propulsion Centre, Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Congratulating Dr Narayan on the appointment, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin stated in a post on X platform that Narayanan’s journey from humble beginnings to becoming the ISRO chairman “will inspire many more Tamil Nadu students to become achievers like him!”