Padma Bhushan Awardee and ISRO Pioneer Dr. Eknath Vasant Chitnis Passes Away at 100 in Pune
Padma Bhushan Awardee and ISRO Pioneer Dr. Eknath Vasant Chitnis Passes Away at 100 in Pune
Scientist who guided Kalam and shaped India’s space vision leaves behind a towering legacy
Padma Bhushan awardee and veteran Indian space scientist Dr. Eknath Vasant Chitnis passed away on Wednesday at his residence in Pune. He was 100. According to family members, Dr. Chitnis had been unwell for the past few days and succumbed to a heart attack in the morning.
A monumental figure in India’s space journey, Dr. Chitnis played a pivotal role in the early years of the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), which later evolved into the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He was also instrumental in selecting Thumba in Kerala as India’s first rocket launching site.
From 1981 to 1985, Dr. Chitnis served as the second Director of ISRO’s Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad. He was one of the few remaining close associates of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the architect of India’s space programme.
With profound grief, we mourn the passing of Padma Bhushan Prof. E. V. Chitnis – a visionary who worked alongside Dr. Vikram Sarabhai to lay the foundation of India’s space journey.
— Narottam Sahoo (@narottamsahoo) October 22, 2025
On this very day in 2008, #Chandrayaan1 took flight – a shining symbol of the dreams he helped… pic.twitter.com/QGFqcCIBrv
Dr. Chitnis is also remembered for mentoring Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who later became India’s ‘Missile Man’ and President. In 1962, he reviewed Kalam’s resume and strongly recommended him for the NASA training programme, a move that helped shape Kalam’s future contributions to ISRO and India’s missile technology.
Contributions to India’s Space & Communication Revolution
- Played a key role in launching the INSAT (Indian National Satellite System) programme.
- Helped establish remote sensing and space-based communication projects that brought television and telecommunications to rural India.
- Worked on expanding education and science communication through media and satellite technology.
For his outstanding contributions to science and nation-building, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1985.
Legacy Beyond ISRO
After retiring in 1989, Dr. Chitnis settled in Pune and continued to nurture young minds. He helped establish the Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMRC) at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SSPU), remaining active in academia for nearly two decades. His focus areas included development communication and media for science education.
