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Obituary: UR Rao – pioneering satellite technologist and proponent of ‘ISRO Culture’

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8 years ago

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UR Rao

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]~By Dinesh C Sharma

The Indian Space Research Organistaion (ISRO) is today counted among the best space agencies globally. Much of the credit for this goes to UR Rao who helped the agency master technology for making complex communication, weather and remote sensing satellites with limited resources and difficult circumstances such as technology denial.

Having started his career as a doctoral student of Vikram Sarabhai in 1954 at Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, Udupi Ramachandra Rao spent his scientific career spanning almost half a century for developing and nurturing the Indian space programme. After a brief stint in America as a postdoc at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Rao returned to India at the behest of Sarabhai.

Throughout the 1960s, Sarabhai was feverishly trying to put together a plan for developing space technology applications in India after having successfully set up the sounding rocket facility at Thumba in Kerala. He asked Rao, who had worked on spacecraft systems while being at NASA, to prepare a blueprint for development of space technology in India. Then he asked Rao to implement the plan. The rest of Rao’s life was spent in doing so, beginning with the fabrication of India’s first satellite – Aryabhata – launched in April 1975.

Aryabhata, weighing 358 kg, was built from scratch by a young team of engineers and scientists put together by Rao at a newly created facility in the Peenya industrial estate in Bangalore. The facility later became the ISRO Satellite Centre with Rao as its founding director. The Soviets launched Aryabhata from the Kapustin Yar Cosmodrome, without charging any fee, purely as a friendly gesture. This was followed by launch of Bhaskara 1 and 2, and Rohini series of satellites.

If Aryabhata got a free launch from the Soviet Union, the first experimental communication satellite – Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE) – was launched for free on a development flight of Ariane vehicle of European Space Agency (ESA) from Kourou in 1981.

The American media ridiculed India’s foray into space when it was ridden with other problems as poverty. News weekly, Newsweek, carried a picture of APPLE being transported from the hanger to test center in a bullock cart with a caption ‘Collision of Centuries’. Many years later, Rao explained in an interview why the satellite was carried on a bullock cart: “We had to ship the satellite for EMC (Electromagnetic Interference/Capability) testing, and trucks made of metals were throwing off reflections that were affecting the satellite’s antenna. Then somebody hit on the idea of a bullock cart, which is made of wood. It worked perfectly.” 

With the experience gained from building experimental satellites in the 1970s, Rao came up with an ambitious idea of building larger communication, remote sensing and multi-purpose satellites with practical applications. Thus were born the legendary series of Indian satellites in the 1980s – the INSAT (Indian National Satellite) and IRS (India Remote Sensing Satellite) – which provided communication, broadcasting, weather and earth observation services to a variety of Indian users. Thus within two decades, Rao could demonstrate the applicability of space technology for national development, as envisioned by his mentor Sarabhai. This is despite the problems Rao was facing in the 1980s with successive failures of Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV).

In all, over 20 satellites were designed and launched under his guidance. Besides laying the foundation for self-reliance in satellite building, Rao is credited with building a new way of executing complex technology project – which many call the ‘ISRO Culture’. All space projects are complex, challenging, multi-disciplinary, time-critical, and – in the case of India – have to be executed with limited budget. Rao mastered this art. Leveraging his experience of working with NASA, Rao introduced a matrix management structure for managing projects by ensuring optimal use of available resources. The ISRO culture encompasses decentralized decision making for technology development, systems engineering, quality assurance, peer review and thorough failure assessment. Actually this is what differentiates ISRO from other scientific agencies in India.   

Rao came from a humble background. He was born in Udupi in Karnataka. “I saw a train for the first time when I had to go to Bellary for Intermediate. I had never seen a train because no trains used to come to Udupi. They used to come to Mangalore, which is about 58 km from Udupi. Udupi was a taluka at that time, but there were four rivers, at each river you had to take a boat to cross and then take another one. It was a big effort going to Bangalore from Udupi,” Rao had recalled in an interview a few years ago.

He first thought of space technology while doing M. Sc. at Banaras Hindu University. “I said I wanted to be a space scientist. I was not sure my own professor would have welcomed it because at that time space was not a hot subject, but I had a dream. The main thing is we must dream and then you have to just dedicate yourself for that.” (India Science Wire)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Lok Sabha clears bill to levy cess on pan masala and similar goods for health, security funding

The Lok Sabha has passed a bill to impose a cess on pan masala manufacturing units, aiming to create a dedicated revenue source for public health and national security initiatives.

Published

33 mins ago

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December 5, 2025

By

Nirmala Sitharaman

The Lok Sabha has approved the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, paving the way for a new cess on pan masala manufacturing units. The legislation aims to generate dedicated funds for strengthening national security and improving public health, both areas identified as critical national priorities.

Bill aims to create predictable funding stream

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, responding to the debate before the bill was passed by voice vote, said that the cess will be shared with states because public health falls under the state list.

The new cess will be applied over and above the GST, based on production capacity and machinery used in units manufacturing pan masala and similar goods. The minister clarified that this cess will not affect GST revenue, and that pan masala already attracts the maximum GST slab of 40 per cent.

According to the bill text, the objective is to build a “dedicated and predictable resource stream” to support expenditure related to health and national security.

Sitharaman also mentioned that cess collection as a percentage of gross total revenue currently stands at 6.1 per cent, lower than the 7 per cent average between 2010 and 2014.

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India News

Simone Tata passes away at 95: A look at the visionary who shaped Lakme and modern retail

Simone Tata, the pioneering business leader who built Lakme and helped shape India’s modern retail sector, passed away at 95. Here’s a look at her legacy.

Published

45 mins ago

on

December 5, 2025

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simone tata

Ratan Tata’s stepmother and celebrated business leader Simone Tata passed away on December 5, 2025, at the age of 95. Known for her pioneering role in building Lakme and transforming India’s retail landscape, she leaves behind a remarkable legacy that redefined Indian consumer culture.

A legacy that shaped Indian business

Simone Tata, born in Geneva in 1930, first came to India at the age of 23. Two years later, in 1955, she married Naval H. Tata and gradually became an integral part of the Tata family’s business vision. Her journey with the Tata Group began in the 1960s, when she was appointed to Lakme—then under Tata Oil Mills.

Under her leadership, Lakme quickly grew into one of India’s most trusted cosmetic brands. She rose to the position of managing director and later chairperson, introducing global formulations and modernising beauty products for the Indian market. Lakme’s rise was also rooted in a strong national vision—launched on former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s suggestion to reduce foreign exchange spent on imported makeup.

Transforming retail through Trent and Westside

After Lakme was sold to Hindustan Lever Limited in 1966, Simone moved to Trent, where she helped build one of India’s earliest modern retail chains. This later gave birth to Westside, a brand that has become synonymous with contemporary Indian shopping culture.

She also played a key role in philanthropic initiatives, guiding organisations such as the Sir Ratan Tata Institute and supporting cultural and children-focused foundations.

Family, personal life and final farewell

Simone Tata is survived by her son Noel, daughter-in-law Aloo Mistry, and grandchildren Neville, Maya and Leah. She also drew public attention in recent years for being the only member of the Tata family to attend Cyrus Mistry’s funeral, despite the widely known strained ties between the families.

Her funeral will take place on Saturday morning at the Cathedral of the Holy Name Church in Colaba, Mumbai.

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India News

Centre orders probe into IndiGo crisis, expects normal flight operations in three days

Amid record cancellations by IndiGo, the Centre has ordered a high-level inquiry and expects flight schedules to stabilise by Saturday, with full normalcy in three days.

Published

1 hour ago

on

December 5, 2025

By

indigo

The Centre has initiated a high-level inquiry into the massive disruption of IndiGo’s operations, with the government projecting that flight schedules will begin stabilising by Saturday and full normalisation is expected within three days. The announcement comes as cancellations by the airline crossed 500 for the second consecutive day, severely impacting passengers across major airports.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the government has directed urgent measures to ensure swift restoration of services. Within minutes of his statement, the aviation regulator DGCA announced the formation of a four-member committee to examine the circumstances leading to the delays and cancellations.

DGCA forms committee as cancellations spark scrutiny

The DGCA said IndiGo was given sufficient time to implement revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), yet the airline recorded the highest number of cancellations in November. The regulator added that the pattern suggested gaps in the carrier’s internal oversight and preparedness, warranting an independent probe.

The committee will review the sequence of events that triggered disruptions and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.

Flight duty rules relaxed; minister defends move

Amid criticism from the Opposition and experts, the DGCA temporarily suspended certain FDTL rules, increasing pilot duty limits from 12 to 14 hours. The changes were widely questioned, with allegations that the government was yielding to pressure from IndiGo.

Naidu defended the decision, stating the move was taken solely to safeguard passengers and that safety standards would not be compromised.
He reiterated that passenger care and convenience remain the top priority.

Assurance of refunds, real-time updates, and support

Highlighting steps taken to ease passenger distress, the minister said airlines must:

  • Provide accurate, real-time updates before travellers leave for airports
  • Initiate automatic refunds for cancelled flights without requiring follow-ups
  • Arrange hotel accommodation for passengers stranded for extended periods

Senior citizens and persons with disabilities have been accorded special priority, including access to lounges and additional assistance. Refreshments and essential services are to be provided to all affected travellers.

Inquiry to determine accountability

The government said the high-level probe will identify what went wrong at IndiGo, establish responsibility, and recommend systemic corrections to ensure such disruptions do not occur again.

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