Who is the CEO of Skyroot Company?
These days Skyroot Aerospace is in discussion everywhere. On July 18, 2026, the company created history by successfully launching the country’s first private orbital launch vehicle Vikram-1. This is a historic moment for India’s space sector, where till now only ISRO has been dominant, a private company has sent a rocket into space on its own. With this achievement, everyone’s eyes are fixed on the person who laid the foundation of this journey. Pawan Kumar Chandna, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace, is being talked about a lot. One of his interviews given recently is also going viral.
From salary of 40 thousand to CEO of the company
Interestingly, most IIT graduates look for high-paying corporate jobs or opportunities abroad, but Chandana chose a completely different path after graduation. A path in which the salary was modest, but later this decision proved to shape his entire entrepreneurial journey. Speaking to CNBC India, he told that he had deliberately decided to join ISRO, although he knew that he would not get the salary that most of the IIT graduates expect like their peers. He told that my starting salary was around Rs 40,000 per month and also said that due to low salary many IIT graduates are hesitant in taking government jobs. For him, however, the opportunity to work on cutting-edge space technology meant more than money. This passion of his has made him famous all over the world today.
What is the background of Pawan Kumar Chandana?
Pawan Kumar Chandna, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace, was born in Hyderabad in 1991. Initially he was not good in studies. He got only 51 marks in mathematics in school. With his father’s encouragement, he took coaching at IIT, where his fear of mathematics gradually transformed into interest in engineering. He passed the IIT entrance exam in the first attempt and joined IIT Kharagpur in 2007, from where he obtained a dual degree BTech-MTech in Mechanical Engineering.
He also gave advice to the youth who did their bit in the recent program. He said that one should not wait for the ecosystem to be fully developed, because by the time policies, funding and infrastructure are ready, the early mover’s advantage diminishes. Those who launch early, take calculated risks, and learn quickly are often better positioned for success. According to Chandana, Skyroot also benefited from making bold bets at a time when India’s private space sector was still nascent, and looking back today, he believes those early risks are now paying off.
What is the history of Skyroot company?
Skyroot Aerospace was established on 12 June 2018 in Hyderabad. Initially the company was started with a team of only ten people. Then in June 2018 itself, the company received seed funding of $1.5 million from Mukesh Bansal. In December 2020, the company tested its solid-fuel engine ‘Kalam-5’. By launching Vikram-S in November 2022, Skyroot achieved the distinction of becoming the first private company in India to send a rocket into space. After this, the company raised millions of dollars in several funding rounds and opened India’s largest private rocket manufacturing plant in May 2026, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi.
How important is Skyroot’s mission for space?
The article sent by Skyroot is very important for the Indian space sector. Because till now the entire responsibility of space programs in the country was in a way on ISRO only. But with the arrival of new private companies, there is hope for new innovations and new projects. This is being considered a game changer for India. India’s space journey, which was limited to ISRO only for six decades, has now also included private companies. After the Space Policy of 2023, more than 400 space startups are active today, and the sector’s revenue increased from about Rs 322 crore in 2021-22 to about Rs 3200 crore in 2024-25. The government aims to take the current $8.4 billion sector to $40-45 billion by 2030 and to $100 billion by 2040. Vikram-1 is the first big step in this direction.
Also read- Why is Vikram-1 launch a gamechanger for India? Know its impact on investment, business and space industry
