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.

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).

The Centre appointed V Narayanan as the new Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space on January 08. V Narayanan will assume office on January 14.

V Narayanan will be the new Chairman of ISRO and Secretary of the Department of Space. With extensive experience since 1984, Narayanan has been pivotal in developing India's cryogenic propulsion systems and has delivered numerous liquid propulsion systems during his tenure.