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Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr Sreedhara Panicker Somanath paid a glowing tribute to former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, highlighting his influential role as a mentor who shaped the leaders involved in space exploration in the country.

Recalling Dr Kalam’s influence on him, the ISRO chief said the former president left a “legacy of people and leadership who became my mentors and leaders… I am a product of his chelas (students/followers) and boys. So I should be thankful to him,” he said, in a fireside chat with Shradha Sharma, Founder and CEO, YourStory.

Dr Kalam was the project director of India’s first indigenous satellite launch vehicle (SLV-III) at ISRO.

Frugal innovation

At the 15th edition of the TechSparks summit in Bengaluru, Dr Somanath discussed the space agency’s remarkable achievements despite operating on limited budgets, the mindset of its people, its collaboration with startups, and more.

Speaking about driving innovation on relatively smaller budgets, the ISRO chief noted that development at ISRO is build around frugality.

“While we start talking about a project, we start discussing how to contain the cost. This is very much part of the whole discussion within the organisation… We ask for the least amount of money. That is the principle of budgeting. This is followed internally.” 

Be it the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), which reached Mars on its first attempt or Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing on the moon, these projects—which positioned India as a major player in space exploration—were achieved at low costs.

Dr Somanath explained that people at ISRO are trained to minimise waste. They also prioritise analytical modelling, computer modelling, and simulation over building physical hardware, which tends to be more expensive.

However, the most important reason for achieving low cost is the industry itself, noted the ISRO chairman. Industry players do not work with ISRO with a “profit motive,” he said.

Association with ISRO

Dr Somanath said companies work with ISRO out of passion, which the space agency has instilled in them, and also because they love collaborating with ISRO.

Working with ISRO gives them an edge in skilling and knowledge, which enhances their ability to handle more complex projects for customers. Many companies have become highly proficient in manufacturing and engineering, as ISRO’s demands are much stricter and its processes are always “world-class,” he remarked.

The association with the space agency has also helped industries scale up, with many moderate suppliers eventually rising to global standards, he added.

Be sceptical of success

Dr Somanath also spoke about how young people at ISRO are trained to view success.

The ISRO chief said, “I tell my young people all the time: you have to be extremely sceptical. Learn to be very goal-oriented, very ambitious, but at the same time, extremely sceptical.

“You have to tell them that this is going to fail. We tell people to look for failure, failure, failure every time something appears to be working successfully. If something is working successfully the very first time, we become more worried.”

He elaborated that, even before a launch, the first question that’s asked is: What are the ways in which this launch can fail? And not, how is it going to be successful this time?

“It looks funny that all of us are highly critical and sceptical people. We say that the moment you become very happy about how well things are going, we can be sure that a failure is waiting. This is the nature of the psychology of the organisation,” he said.

Working with startups

ISRO is playing an active role in the growth of startups in the space economy, including Agnikul Cosmos, Skyroot Aerospace, Pixxel, Dhruva Space, and Bellatrix Aerospace.

The space agency has offered its facilities for operations, including launch pads in Sriharikota, and ground support. It has also provided advice and guidance to entrepreneurs and consultancy on design reviews and process writing. ISRO has also allowed startups to use its facilities for liquid testing, vibration testing, environmental testing, and electronic testing, said Dr Somanath.

The ISRO chief admitted that, as a government official, he must operate within certain boundaries, constraints, and controls to accomplish his tasks.

While this is challenging, it is also inspiring. Despite limitations, people are envisioning new possibilities, encouraging ISRO to make the most of the resources allocated by the government, he noted.

The government has announced a Rs 1,000-crore venture capital fund to bolster India’s burgeoning space economy.

Joy of technical work

Dr Somanath, who loves doing core technical work, cannot imagine doing anything else. He pointed out that many top professionals tend to move away from technical work towards management, focusing on “spreadsheets and PowerPoint slides.”

However, he does not see himself in this mould.

“Fifty per cent of my time is spent on core technical work, which involves developing, designing, and configuring complex systems. I am like a child when I see that work; I get extreme joy doing it,” he remarked.