People on social media are drawing inspiration from Pawan Kumar Chandana, the co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace. Why? Because the man who went on to launch India’s first privately built rocket was once an average student who scored only 51 marks in maths. His story was recently shared online by Deedy Das, and it has struck a chord with many.
So how did he end up loving the very subject he once struggled with? The credit goes to his determined father, who didn’t lose hope after those low marks. Instead, he enrolled Pawan in IIT JEE coaching. While preparing for the exam, Pawan not only improved his academics but also developed a genuine love for mathematics and science.
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In 2007, he cleared the IIT entrance exam on his very first attempt and joined IIT Kharagpur to study Mechanical Engineering. He later completed a dual BTech–MTech degree. While many of his batchmates focused on high-paying jobs or opportunities abroad, he stayed focused on his dream of working with rockets and space.
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From an ISRO engineer to signing an MoU with ISRO
His passion for space took him to ISRO in 2012, where he joined as a scientist right after graduating. Even though the salary wasn’t high, he loved his work so much that he once felt he could retire there. But the entrepreneurial dream he had since his IIT days never left him. He wanted to build a world-class space-tech company from India—at a time when private rocket building wasn’t even allowed or funded.
In 2018, after five years at ISRO, he took a big risk and quit his job. He didn’t have a business background or any strong network, but he started by reaching out to Mukesh Bansal (founder of Myntra, CureFit, and NuRX) on LinkedIn. To his shock, Bansal and also an IIT Kharagpur graduate, believed in his idea and invested $1.5 million.
But soon, COVID-19 hit. Markets crashed, investors backed out, and raising a Series A round became almost impossible because many people didn’t trust space startups. When things looked bleak, the founders of Greenko, a major renewable energy company, stepped in and funded the company. Their support helped keep his dream alive.
A turning point in 2021
The year 2021 changed everything. The government opened up the Indian space sector to private companies. Skyroot quickly became the first private company to sign an MoU with ISRO and later raised a massive $51 million, India’s biggest DeepTech investment at the time.
India’s first private rocket launch
In November 2022, Skyroot created history by launching Vikram-S, the country’s first privately developed suborbital rocket, which reached 90 km altitude. Soon after, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Skyroot’s new facility. The team grew to nearly 1,000 people, and the company set up India’s largest private rocket manufacturing unit.
Today, Skyroot is valued at about $527 million and is working on its next big mission, Vikram-1-1, an orbital rocket expected to launch in 2026. If it succeeds, Skyroot will become one of the top five private companies in the world capable of regular orbital launches.