Vikram Sarabhai
Physicist and father of India’s space programme
- Lived
- 52 yrs
- 1919 – 1971
- Works listed
- 0
- Career highlights
- Honours
- 2
- Most recent 1972
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Vikram Sarabhai was a physicist and institution builder who founded the Physical Research Laboratory and India’s space programme, which became ISRO. He also co-founded IIM Ahmedabad and succeeded Homi Bhabha as head of the Atomic Energy Commission.
Biography
Family and early life
Sarabhai was born into a wealthy Jain family of Ahmedabad industrialists and philanthropists who were close to the freedom movement; Gandhi, Tagore and Nehru visited their home. He was educated at a family-run school before studying at Gujarat College and St John’s College, Cambridge, and returned to India during the Second World War to research cosmic rays under C. V. Raman at the Indian Institute of Science.
Scientist
Born into a prominent industrialist family in Ahmedabad, Sarabhai studied at Cambridge and earned his PhD there for research on cosmic rays. In 1947 he founded the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad.
Space programme
Convinced that space technology could serve national development, he persuaded the government to set up the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) in 1962, which became the Indian Space Research Organisation in 1969. The first sounding rocket was launched from Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram on 21 November 1963. He also helped found IIM Ahmedabad and chaired the Atomic Energy Commission after Homi Bhabha’s death in 1966.
He died at Kovalam on 30 December 1971, aged 52. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the Chandrayaan-2 lander Vikram are named after him. His wife was the classical dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai.
Vision for space
Sarabhai argued that a developing country needed space technology not for prestige but to solve real problems — communications, weather forecasting and education. He planned India’s first satellite, Aryabhata (launched in 1975 after his death), and the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) that later beamed educational programmes to thousands of villages. Besides PRL and ISRO, he helped found the Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association, IIM Ahmedabad, the Community Science Centre and the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts with his wife.
Legacy
Sarabhai is regarded as the father of the Indian space programme. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram bears his name, and the lander of Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 was named Vikram after him. Beyond space, he helped found institutions including the Physical Research Laboratory and IIM Ahmedabad.
Timeline
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1919
Born in Ahmedabad, Bombay Presidency (now Gujarat)
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1942
Marries the dancer Mrinalini Swaminathan
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1947
Founds the Physical Research Laboratory
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1962
Sets up INCOSPAR
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1963
First rocket launch from Thumba
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1966
Padma Bhushan; chairs the Atomic Energy Commission
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1969
ISRO established
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1971
Dies at Kovalam
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1975
Aryabhata, the satellite he planned, is launched
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1971
Died, aged 52
Awards and honours
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Padma Bhushan
1966
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Padma Vibhushan
1972 · Awarded posthumously.
Did you know?
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1
Gandhi, Tagore and Nehru were guests at his family home.
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2
He researched cosmic rays under C. V. Raman.
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3
The Moon lander of Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3, Vikram, is named after him.
Gallery
Connections
Related people
-
Homi J. Bhabha
Science · Nuclear physicist and father of India’s nuclear programme
Predecessor at the Atomic Energy Commission
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A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Science · Aerospace scientist and 11th President of India
Protégé
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C. V. Raman
Science · Physicist; Nobel laureate who discovered the Raman effect
Mentor
Frequently asked
Who is Vikram Sarabhai?
Vikram Sarabhai was a physicist and institution builder who founded the Physical Research Laboratory and India’s space programme, which became ISRO. He also co-founded IIM Ahmedabad and succeeded Homi Bhabha as head of the Atomic Energy Commission.
When did Vikram Sarabhai die?
Vikram Sarabhai died on 30 December 1971 at the age of 52.
Where is Vikram Sarabhai from?
Vikram Sarabhai was born in Ahmedabad, Bombay Presidency (now Gujarat).
What is Vikram Sarabhai known for?
Vikram Sarabhai is best known for Founding ISRO’s forerunner INCOSPAR and the Physical Research Laboratory; first rocket launch from Thumba.
What awards has Vikram Sarabhai received?
Notable honours include Padma Bhushan (1966), Padma Vibhushan (1972).
Who is Vikram Sarabhai married to?
Spouse: Mrinalini Sarabhai.
References
- Vikram Sarabhai — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Vikram Sarabhai — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Vikram Sarabhai — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Vikram Sarabhai (Q325470) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editors; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal
- First published 26 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Vikram Sarabhai.” TrackFame, last updated 26 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/vikram-sarabhai
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