IIT Kharagpur graduate Pawan Kumar Chandana makes it to TIME100 Next list

Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO of the space-tech startup Skyroot Aerospace, has been named in the TIME100 Next list for emerging leaders. Born in 1991 in Hyderabad to a middle-class family, Pawan cleared the IIT JEE exam on his first attempt in 2007. He graduated from IIT Kharagpur in 2012 with a dual degree in Mechanical Engineering and Thermal Science and Engineering. After his graduation, he joined the Indian Space Research Organisation and spent nearly six years at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, working on launch vehicle programs that built his foundation in rocket technology. In 2018, he left ISRO to co-found Skyroot Aerospace in Hyderabad alongside Naga Bharath Daka to build private launch vehicles. The company is known for developing the Vikram series of rockets, named after Vikram Sarabhai. In July 2026, Skyroot achieved a key milestone when its Vikram I mission successfully carried multiple payloads into orbit, highlighting the growth of India's private space sector.

Context

Skyroot Aerospace is part of a growing private space ecosystem in India that works alongside government agencies like ISRO. Such private startups aim to make space access more commercial and open up new avenues for technology and engineering talent in the country.