Chethan Kumar

Correspondent, TOI

Chethan Kumar is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India. Aside from specialising in Space & Science, he has reported extensively on varied topics, with special focus on defence, policy and ...

Chethan Kumar is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India. Aside from specialising in Space & Science, he has reported extensively on varied topics, with special focus on defence, policy and data stories. He has covered multiple elections, too. As a young democracy grows out of adolescence, Chethan feels, there are reels of tales emerging which need to be captured. To do this, he alternates between the mundane goings-on of the Common Man and the wonder-filled worlds of scientists and scamsters, politicians and soldiers. In a career spanning nearly 18 years, he has reported from multiple datelines — Houston, Florida, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Sriharikota (AP), NH-1 (J&K Highway), New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Raichur, Bhatkal, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, to name a few — but is based out of Bengaluru, India’s science capital that also hosts the ISRO HQ.

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Stories by the author

• Isro’s toughest year in decades: 6 launches, 3 strategic setbacks

  
  14 Jan 2026 12:22 PM IST
• ​Rare new butterfly species identified in Kodagu’s western ghats hotspot

  
  15 Jan 2024 01:41 PM IST
• Chandrayaan-3 second Op around done, closest point to Earth (perigee) raised to around 220km

  
  16 Jul 2023 11:11 PM IST
• To study Moon from its surface, Earth from orbit

  
  14 Jul 2023 07:05 AM IST
• Indian PhD students denied visa to attend major conference in Canada

  
  29 May 2023 12:35 PM IST
• Islet of hope: Amid Congress surge, BJP gets 16 seats in Bengaluru, nearly a third of its total tally in Karnataka

  
  14 May 2023 10:03 AM IST
• Isro prevents Chandrayaan-2 collision with Nasa's Lunar Orbiter

  
  16 Nov 2021 08:17 PM IST
• India’s first medical drone delivery trials from June 18

  
  13 Jun 2021 11:10 AM IST
• With over 350 private space companies, India in fifth place globally

  
  03 Jun 2021 10:39 AM IST
• At least half of LCA Tejas fighters to have desi radar

  
  22 Feb 2021 12:44 PM IST
• Vaccine deals: India, Oxford-AstraZeneca numbers dip, but still on top; Pfizer gains most

  
  14 Dec 2020 09:49 AM IST
• Indian, Russian satellites just metres away in space; Roscosmos says 224m, Isro says 420m

  
  27 Nov 2020 11:54 PM IST
• 25 years on, India tops 75 crore Internet connections; 50% of these came in last 4 years

  
  16 Nov 2020 09:51 AM IST
• India to allow foreign companies too to make and launch satellites

  
  25 Oct 2020 07:37 AM IST
• New Spacecom policy to allow private Indian companies to launch satellites, sell services

  
  22 Oct 2020 02:16 PM IST
• Gaganyaan: Isro now in talks with NASA for key tech

  
  17 Oct 2020 03:50 PM IST
• China attacked Indian satellite communications, says US report; ISRO says systems safe

  
  23 Sep 2020 09:26 AM IST
• 34K startups gave direct employment to 4.2L: Government data

  
  20 Sep 2020 10:07 AM IST
• Women in Research and development: Private sector outshines PSUs

  
  31 Aug 2020 08:39 AM IST
• Army low on stocks of 45 key items, 20 ammo stocks under critical 10(I) level

  
  19 Jun 2020 11:43 AM IST
• 4 lakh corona-related e-attacks in 2 weeks

  
  14 May 2020 11:02 AM IST
• Industry can now buy land directly from Karnataka farmers

  
  11 May 2020 10:40 AM IST
• Coronavirus has spread to 30% of India's districts

  
  04 Apr 2020 01:20 PM IST
• 'Space Brick' for future Moon habitats developed

  
  30 Jan 2020 04:33 PM IST
• 10k student suicides in ’18, highest in 10 yrs

  
  11 Jan 2020 12:12 PM IST
• Bengalurean’s anti-cancer kit a breakthrough: US

  
  12 Nov 2019 10:35 AM IST
• India’s space station likely to have space for three

  
  31 Oct 2019 10:55 AM IST
• In a first, Bengaluru firm makes sniper rifles

  
  14 Sep 2019 10:39 AM IST
• India's next Moon shot will be bigger, in pact with Japan

  
  08 Sep 2019 08:21 AM IST
• Extra brake thrust may have sent Vikram lander out of control in home stretch

  
  08 Sep 2019 08:11 AM IST
• Chandrayaan 2: 100m above Moon, Vikram will pick final landing spot

  
  06 Sep 2019 10:10 AM IST
• It's official, in a 1st, Isro invites private firms to build 5 PSLVs

  
  17 Aug 2019 08:57 AM IST
• Sky is no limit

  
  16 Aug 2019 01:04 PM IST
• Sky is not the limit for ISRO

  
  16 Aug 2019 10:45 AM IST
• Lifespan of Chandrayaan-2 orbiter increases

  
  30 Jul 2019 11:00 AM IST
• Isro scouting for a name to etch on lunar landing site

  
  24 Jul 2019 10:37 AM IST
• Glitch fixed, Chandrayaan-2 will be a success: Isro chief K Sivan

  
  22 Jul 2019 07:26 AM IST
• India all set for 52-day trip to Moon, backpacker style

  
  14 Jul 2019 07:25 AM IST
• Polluted water killed 7 every day in 2018

  
  29 Jun 2019 11:11 AM IST
• Chandrayaan-2 nearly ready for July launch

  
  11 Jun 2019 10:58 AM IST
• Finally, women police and paramilitary personnel to get customised body gear

  
  29 May 2019 10:49 AM IST
• IAF dues mount, HAL’s cash in hand plummets

  
  29 May 2019 10:44 AM IST
• Nearly 80,000 vacancies at ordnance factories

  
  21 May 2019 10:53 AM IST
• PMO seeks data on vacant government posts

  
  17 May 2019 11:17 AM IST
• Why one-fifth of postal votes end up in the bin

  
  12 Apr 2019 11:04 AM IST
• How smaller players gained at national parties’ expense

  
  04 Apr 2019 11:09 AM IST
• Vikram hurt during practice, puts Chandrayaan-2 on bench

  
  04 Apr 2019 10:28 AM IST