17 Facts About Nambi Narayanan

Nambi Narayanan was born on 12 December 1941 and is an Indian aerospace scientist who worked for the Indian Space Research Organisation and contributed significantly to the Indian space program by developing the Vikas rocket engine.

Nambi Narayanan led the team which acquired technology from the French for the Vikas engine used in the first Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle that India launched.

Nambi Narayanan was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, in March 2019.

The film Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, based on his life, starring and directed by R Madhavan, was released in July 2022.

Nambi Narayanan was born on 12 December 1941 in the house of Tamil Hindu parents in Nagercoil, in the erstwhile Princely state of Travancore.

Nambi Narayanan completed his schooling at Higher Secondary School, Nagercoil.

Nambi Narayanan received a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai.

Nambi Narayanan lost his father while pursuing his degree in Madurai, with his mother falling sick soon after.

Nambi Narayanan was sent to Princeton University on deputation at Indian Government expense in 1969.

Nambi Narayanan completed his master's program there in chemical rocket propulsion under professor Luigi Crocco.

Nambi Narayanan returned to India with expertise in liquid propulsion at a time when Indian rocketry was still solely dependent on solid propellants.

Nambi Narayanan has claimed that he had to educate Sarabhai on liquid propulsion technology in his book.

On 30 November 1994, Nambi Narayanan was arrested as part of an investigation of alleged espionage, by a team of Kerala police and Intelligence Bureau officials, based on the videographed statements by a colleague that he and Nambi Narayanan had received money for transferring drawings and documents of rocket engines to two Maldivian women, Mariam Rasheeda and Fauziyya Hassan, who were suspected to be spies.

Nambi Narayanan says his main complaint against ISRO is that it did not support him.

In September 1999, the National Human Rights Commission passed strictures against the government of Kerala for having damaged Nambi Narayanan's distinguished career in space research along with the physical and mental torture to which he and his family were subjected.

The Kerala High Court ordered a compensation amount of 10 lakh to be paid to Nambi Narayanan based on an appeal from NHRC India in September 2012.

In 2021, the Kerala government settled the case filed against it by Nambi Narayanan by agreeing to a payment of 1.3 crore.