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Pawan Kumar Chandanaโs journey from IIT Kharagpur and ISRO to Indiaโs private space industry has now taken him onto the global stage. The Skyroot Aerospace co-founder and CEO has been named in TIME magazineโs TIME100 Next 2026 list, which recognises emerging leaders shaping the future.
Chandanaโs TIME recognition comes at a defining moment for Skyroot Aerospace. On July 18, 2026, the companyโs Vikram-I lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, marking the first orbital launch from Indian soil by a private Indian company.
The mission carried multiple payloads, including two satellites that were successfully injected into Low Earth Orbit.
Pawan Kumar Chandanaโs journey into rocket science did not begin with an extraordinary academic record. He once scored 51 marks in mathematics, but the setback did not stop his interest in engineering and technology.
That curiosity took him to IIT Kharagpur, where he completed a dual degree in Mechanical Engineering and Thermal Science and Engineering in 2012. After graduating, Chandana joined ISRO, where he spent nearly six years at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and worked on programmes including GSLV Mk-III and SSLV.
In 2018, he left ISRO and co-founded Skyroot Aerospace with fellow former ISRO engineer Naga Bharath Daka, setting out to build privately developed rockets in India.
His journey has also earned recognition from his alma mater. IIT Kharagpur honoured Chandana with its Distinguished Alumni Award for his contribution to Indiaโs growing space sector.
Building a private rocket company was far from straightforward. Funding emerged as one of the early challenges.
Flipkart co-founder and fellow IIT Kharagpur alumnus Binny Bansal was among Skyroot's early investors, putting $1.5 million into the venture. The Covid-19 pandemic later disrupted fundraising before Greenko provided financial backing.
The journey unfolded alongside a major shift in India's space sector, following reforms announced in 2020 that opened greater opportunities for private participation.
Skyroot's journey began with a series of technology and propulsion milestones before moving towards orbital launches.
In 2022, Vikram-S became India's first privately developed rocket to reach space on a sub-orbital mission, providing a key technology demonstration for the company's launch-vehicle programme.
The bigger test came with Vikram-I. On July 18, 2026, Skyroot successfully launched the rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Carrying customer and demonstration payloads, Vikram-I successfully reached Low Earth Orbit, demonstrating the company's ability to develop and launch an orbital-class rocket and marking a major milestone for India's private space industry.
Following Vikram-I's successful maiden mission, Skyroot is entering its next phase of growth. The company has been expanding its manufacturing capabilities and is working towards increasing its launch capacity as India's commercial space sector grows.
Skyroot is also working towards establishing its own launch complex, with the aim of supporting more frequent launches in the future. For Chandana, the path from IIT Kharagpur to ISRO and then to private space entrepreneurship has now reached another milestone.
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