G Narayanan to guide ISRO's commercial path

BENGALURU: G Narayanan, a veteran rocket scientist, has been named the head of New Space India (NSIL), the Indian Space Research Organisation’s new unit that will look to commercialise its technologies.

Narayanan takes up the role at a time when the Indian space agency is looking to engage the industry in building rockets and satellites and launch them from the country. It is already behind schedule by two years in selecting an industry consortium to build its polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV). Narayanan declined comment, while Isro chairman K Sivan was not reachable.

An Isro spokesperson did not respond to calls or text messages. A consortium led by Larson & Toubro, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and Godrej, which have been system providers for Isro, are looking to integrate the PSLV rocket and bidding to make Isro’s small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV).


Prior to the latest assignment, Narayanan was deputy director (systems reliability and quality assurance) at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, a unit of Isro in Thiruvananthapuram.