India appointed rocket scientist V. Narayanan as the new head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the government said on Tuesday, a key role as India works to become a space superpower.

Dr V Narayanan will have to steer the Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan-4 landing mission, and ensure the success of commercialisation of Isro’s small satellite launch vehicle.

V Narayanan, a prominent rocket scientist, has been appointed as the ISRO Chairman, succeeding S Somanath. Under his leadership, ISRO enters a promising phase with key missions like Chandrayaan-4, Gaganyaan,

Narayanan, a distinguished Scientist at the ISRO, has nearly four decades of experience and has held various key positions within the Indian space organisation

Born in 1964 in Melakattu village Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari District, Narayanan completed his early schooling in his hometown. He earned a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (DME) and an Associate Membership in Mechanical Engineering from the Institution of Engineers (AMIE).