Published on: Nov 20, 2025 02:23 pm IST
As ISRO chairman, his tenure included the successful launch of Mangalyaan, the Mars orbiter mission.
Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairperson K Radhakrishnan has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Board of Governors (BoG) of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay. His three-year term began on November 17.
Radhakrishnan took over from outgoing chairperson Sharad Saraf, the first IIT-Bombay alumnus to hold the position. Saraf completed his three-year tenure this month.
The former ISRO chief, who headed the space agency from 2009-2014, brings wide administrative and academic experience to the role, said IIT-Bombay. In 2014, he was bestowed with the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in the country. As ISRO chairman, his tenure included the successful launch of Mangalyaan, the Mars orbiter mission.
He earlier served as BoG chairperson at IIT-Kanpur and headed several key national committees in higher education, including the Union ministry of education’s 2021 committee that drafted a roadmap for Indian institutions to set up overseas campuses, the 2022 committee formed to strengthen assessment and accreditation of higher education institutions, and the 2024 high-level expert committee on reforming national entrance examinations.
Radhakrishnan has also been associated with major science and research initiatives. He currently chairs the department of science and technology’s expert committees for SATHI (Sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institutes) and SAIF (Sophisticated Analytical Instruments Facilities) programmes. In addition, he heads the Apex Review Committee for the Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation.
