Bet you don't know these 3 things about G Madhavan Nair

I bet you don't know these 3 things about G Madhavan Nair, the chairman of ISRO

A P J Abdul Kalam was Nair's first boss. Both Kalam and Nair then worked at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram

oh ok you new it, what about the next one.....



Madhavan Nair is the first scientiest,after a long time that a scientist not based in Bangalore was chosen as the chairman of ISRO. Madhavan nair is also the first time in two decades that a scientist not working on satellites -- Nair specialises in rockets and launch vehicles -- has been chosen for the top job of ISRO.

Yes he is propulsion-3 guy!!!

And it is rare for a scientist without a doctorate to be chosen to head ISRO, but G Madhavan rao did it and his selection underlines that knowledge and work experience are more important than degrees on paper. Before being the chief of ISRO he has lived in Kerala all through his 35-year tenure with ISRO.


Because of his major contibution in SLV-3's, he was made project director of India's first operational Satellite Launch Vehicle, the PSLV which is the only launcher whose services ISRO sells commercially. Don't forget its this launcher that made a world record of launching 10 satellites at one go and it is this launch vehicle which chandrayaan-1 will ride to moon.

Here's a brief history of G madahavan nair.

Nair was one of ISRO's early recruits. He joined the space programme in 1967, after being trained at Mumbai's Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. After graduating in engineering from Kerala University in 1966, he joined the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station, as VSSC was then known, in 1967.

Nair had been recruited by Vikram Sarabhai's protege, R Aravamudan, now a distinguished scientist with ISRO after he retired as director of various ISRO centres. Aravamudan himself had been personally handpicked by Sarabhai five years earlier. Nair was one of three young men hired by Aravamudan at the time -- the other two are no longer with ISRO.

Nair was designated to work under Kalam, who headed VSSC's payload integration section from 1967 to 1972. Former ISRO chairman Dr U R Rao still recalls how hard Nair worked on a project to develop sounding rockets in collaboration with Japanese scientists.

A decade later, Nair was working on the satellite launch vehicles in Thiruvananthapuram. "The failure of the ASLV was a major setback for the Indian space programme," recollects Rao. "Nair contributed in a major way to the development of the first Indian Satellite Launch Vehicle, the SLV-3. So he was made project director of India's first operational Satellite Launch Vehicle, the PSLV." The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is the only launcher whose services ISRO sells commercially. It has also been chosen to send India's unmanned lunar craft, Chandrayaan-1.

Read more from this wikipedia article

Well this were the facts that i just learnt and thought about sharing with you all. I did my aesi with propulsion stream, so felt great when i heard that Madhavan Nair's major contributions are in propulsion stream. I do believe that hard work and experience matter more than degrees and the ISRO's chairman is the living example of it.

And for those aesi guys who don't know, he has been the chairman of AeSI. And i have the honour of getting my degree from his hand. I am trying to locate the picture that i had with him, will post it as soon i find it.

Do tell me what do you think about him and has his story inspired you.

Buck up aeronautical engineers of india , lot of work coming your way

Top aerospace news round up can be the other title of this post but the one i choose capture the theme of all the news that had happened in Indian aerospace industry last week. The biggest news that happened last week has to be the International Conference on Aerospace Science and Technology (INCAST) that was held in Bangalore from June 2 to June 28, 2008.


The conference,organized as a part of Golden Jubilee celebration of the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore had the main objective to provide a platform for International R&D organization, Academia and Industrial agencies to present their latest achievements and explore the possibility of deriving synergies. This conference also presented the current aerospace activity in the country apart from showcasing the Aerospace Technologies of NAL.The conference provided a forum for discussion for further advancement of aerospace science & technology in the country to cater to the future requirements of national aerospace programs.

Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, Former President of India. Prof R Narasimha, Chairman, Engineering Mechanics Unit, JNCAR, and Dr G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO and Secretary, Department of Space were the main attraction of the conference.

Many important announcements were made during the conference. One among them was related to saras. The third weight optimized version of saras will fly in the next year. Since G Madhavan Nair was present, an announcement on chandrayaan launch was also made. Apart from this ISRO chief also made a call to the aeronautics industry of India to wake up and capture the national market. This was one of the significant remark. It hints that in future private-public partnership is going to increase and aerospace engineers of India will have good demand.

Opening up of the Indian economy and globalisation are taking a heavy toll on NAL, as director A.R. Upadhya said "“We are hit hard by talent crunch. Many of our well-trained scientists and technologists are either resigning or taking voluntary retirement in droves to join the private sector or multi-nationals in pursuit of professional advancement with hefty pay packets"

Well that was the high lights of the aerospace conference held by NAL. Apart from this there were also a news of NAL building India's fastest supercomputer.

So you see, NAL and the conference dominated the news. But within all this news there was one good news for all avionics engineer out there, as French defence and electronics major Thales announced to double its Indian business from 250 million to 500 million euros in the next five years.

Taking of France, it is also keenly interested in making inroads in Indian aerospace industry as there are chances that India and France may soon join to make surface to air missiles just in lines of Indo-russian Brahmos supersonic cruise missile. Good news for Indian aeronautical engineers, so folks get those french classes, who knows.

Have you ever noticed that all the aerospace activities of India are all concentrated in Bangalore, but this might change in future as there are reports and signs that chandigarh is also betting big on aerospace. An IDS infotech is a new company to watch.


And for all the aviation buffs and maintainance streams guys, rejoice as Lufthansa Technik, the world’ s largest maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company, will set up a facility in the country, in a joint venture with the Hyderabad-based GMR group

So this were the top news of the last week, some of themn are significant and will surely affect the aerospace professional. But overall the aerospace outlook for India is positive. So buck up aeronautical engineers, lot of work coming your way. Read more news at indianaeronews blog.

What is Vijay Mallya doing in this Blog?

This is how Times of India defines Vijay Mallay in an interview or profile published about him way back in 2002!!

A panorama of paradoxes. into money born, but unable to spend childhood with a free hand; an inheritance which was his by right, but almost denied; a bachelor most eligible, but a marriage turned sour; a free spirit, but fettered by the label of an image. circumstances have scripted experiences of discovery and rediscovery for this man with a spectrum of silhouettes -- chairman of the ub group; rajya sabha mp; horse-lover; racing enthusiast; keen aviator; party-hopper; spiritual-seeker.... but the most dominant silhouette is that of Vijay Mallya, his own man. not for him the currency of conformity; the straitjacket of being part of the plural.

Now what is Vijay Mallya doing in this Blog? What he has to do with AeSI?

As Mr joshi has informed us already, this time AeSI’s AGM will be held in New Delhi.. what is the new thing that is going to happen. I guess nothing. I hope the AeSI alumni will be formed if things go right.

Apart from this one thing that I am excited about the AeSI AGM this time is about the new President of AeSI. This time it will be no other than Vijay Mallya. I guess in the history of AeSI or in the history of my association with AeSI he is the most flamboyant president that we will have. Yes we had Dr. Abdul Kalam, Madavan Nair and many others but this is the first time that kingfisher chairman will donning the hat.

I don't know how much this be of help to AeSI students and members but its good to know that a person I love to read about and a person who entrails passion and enthusiasm in me is going to be the president of AeSI.

For those who don't know him here's a great little bio of Mr. Mallya

Read more about Vijay Mallya in his own words or read the print format here

Read more about AeSI AGM on this blog!

Indian aerospace news round up.

This week IISc, Bangalore dominated the news section of indian aerospace news. IISc, bangalore honouring Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and IISc. bangalore helps in enhancing missiles range were the top news.


The news about TATA groups joint venture with Israel Aerospace Industries came close second. It generated lot of interest and once again this shows TATA's commitment and desire to be a player in indian aerospace industry. We all know TATA? But who are these Israel Aerospace Industries? Know more about them here This will help you understand which stream's aerospace engineers will mostly benfit from this joint venture.


A decade back, Russia was India's preferred partner for aerospace an ddefence but slowly there is a shift towards Israel. Read this insight from free republic to know why india is prefereing Israel for aerospace business.

Walking with Israel doesn't mean India is leaving Russia back, as there was a news about the BrahMos, India's most successful business partnership with Russia. India's  supersonic cruise missile, the BrahMos, has now been successfully tested in a hypersonic version, though under laboratory conditions. Read more here

Indian's growth story is not only being discussed in India alone,even international firms are organizing seminars highlighting the growth opportunity in indian aerospace and defense sector. Read this to learn more what Frost & Sullivan’s Aerospace & Defence Practice organised.

Satyam is anoter indian firm apart from TATA, which is fighting for the indian aerospace business. Read more about Satyam and Enigma Partnership to Improve MRO in aviation and aerospace.

Other stores includes news about QueST. Go to indian aerospace news to find out which story is the top news of today.