Shri A S Kiran Kumar (2015 - 2018) Home /About /Former chairman/Shri A S Kiran Kumar



Shri AS Kiran Kumar
Mr AlurSeelin Kiran Kumar, Distinguished Scientist (Apex) and Director, Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, assumed the office of the Secretary, Department of Space, Chairman, Space Commission and Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on January 14, 2015. Mr Kiran Kumar is a highly accomplished space scientist and engineer with a distinguished career spanning over four decades in ISRO in the satellite payload and applications domains. He has made immense contributions to the design and development of Electro-Optical Imaging Sensors for Airborne, Low Earth Orbit and Geostationary Orbit satellites starting from Bhaskara TV payload to the Mars Orbiter Mission payloads. Mr Kiran Kumar was instrumental in evolving the successful strategy for steering the Mars Orbiter Spacecraft towards planet Mars as well as its Mars Orbit Insertion. He has also made significant contributions for evolving the observation strategy encompassing land, ocean, atmospheric and planetary studies. Mr Kiran Kumar is an alumnus of National College, the esteemed educational institution of Bangalore. He obtained his Physics (Honours) Degree from Bangalore University in 1971 and later obtained his Master’s degree in Electronics from the same university in 1973, and thereafter his M.Tech Degree in Physical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 1975. Mr Kiran Kumar began his career in ISRO by joining Space Applications Centre (SAC) in 1975. Later, he became its Associate Director and in March 2012 took over as the Director of SAC. At SAC, Mr Kiran Kumar has been steering the design, development & realisation of payloads and application activities of earth observation, communication, navigation, space science and planetary exploration. Mr Kiran Kumar is a recipient of many national and international laurels/awards including the Padma Shri Award conferred by the President of India in 2014, International Academy of Astronautics’ Laurels for Team Achievement Award for Cartosat in 2008 and for Chandrayaan-1 in 2013, Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS) Award for the year 1994, VASVIK award (Electronic sciences and technology) for the year 1998, Astronautical Society of India Award (Space Sciences and Applications) for the year 2001, ISRO individual Service Award 2006, Bhaskara Award of ISRS in 2007 and ISRO Performance Excellence Award 2008. He is a Fellow of professional institutions like Indian National Academy of Engineering, Indian Society of Remote Sensing, Institution of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineer, and Indian Meteorological Society. Besides, he is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics. Mr Kiran Kumar has represented ISRO in international forums like World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) and Indo-US Joint Working Group on Civil Space Cooperation. Date of Birth October 22, 1952 at Hassan, Karnataka.


  B.Sc. with Honours (Physics), 1971, Bangalore University
  M.Sc. (Physics), 1973, Bangalore University with specialisation in Electronics.
  M Tech in Physical Engineering, 1975, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

  Padma Shri Award
  Gandhi Peace Prize 2014 to ISRO

  1998 - 2006 -- Group Director (Principal Investigator, Chandrayaan-1), Electro-Optics Sensor Development
  2004 -- Associate Project Director, Cartosat-2 Satellite Payload
  2006 -- Deputy Director, Sensors Development Area, Space Applications Centre
  2008 -- Group Director (Principal Investigator, Chandrayaan-1), TMC/ HySI Instruments, Space Applications Centre
  2009 -- Associate Director, Space Applications Centre
  2012 -- Director, Space Applications Centre
   2015 -- Secretary, Department of Space, Chairman, Space Commission and Chairman, ISRO

  Padma Shri Award conferred by the Hon. President of India in 2014
  Gandhi Peace Prize 2014 to ISRO
  G.M.Modi Science Award by Gujar Mal Modi Science Foundation in 2016
  Lifetime Achievement Award by Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences in 2016
  Rajyotsava Award conferred by Govt. of Karnataka in 2015
  IISc Distinguished Alumnus Award for the year 2015
  Sir M. Visvesvaraya Senior Scientist State Award’ for the year 2013
  Gujarat Ratna “Life for Innovation” Award conferred by Gujarat Innovation Society
  Laurels for Team Achievement Award 2013 (Chandrayaan-1), International Academy of Astronautics
  ISRO Performance Excellence Award 2008
  Laurels for Team Achievement Award 2008 (Cartosat) of International Academy of Astronautics
  Bhaskara Award conferred by Indian Society of Remote Sensing 2007
  ISRO Individual Service Award 2006
  Astronautical Society of India Award (Space Sciences and Applications) 2001
  VASVIK Award (Electronic Sciences and Technology) 1998
  Indian Society of Remote Sensing Award 1994

  Indian National Academy of Sciences (INAS)
  Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE)
  Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS)
  Institution of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineers (IETE)
  Indian Meteorological Society (IMS)
  Gujarat Science Academy (GSA)
  Andhra Pradesh Academy of Sciences

  President
Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS) Indian Society of Geomatics (ISG) Astronautical Society of India (ASI)
  Member
International Academy of Astronautics (IAA)
  Shri Kiran Kumar has been conferred with more than 10 Honoris Causa from prestigious Universities including Kaziranga University and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University.

  76 Research publications both in National and International journals.
  Six Publications including books, monographs & journals Many Articles as a Chapter in Books

  Shri Kiran Kumar has been duly recognised internationally for contributions to calibration and validation activities in forums like, Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), Coordination Group of Meteorological Satellites (CGMS), Expert Team on Satellite Systems – World Meteorological Organisation (ETSAT of WMO) and Indo-US Joint Working Group on Civil Space Cooperation. Yet another success in the international arena has been when he was the Chairman of the international Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) and spearheaded the CEOS in 2012. Shri Kiran Kumar has many bi-lateral cooperation successes behind him – all of which has made ISRO a global entity and also has furthered the developing country perspectives of space. He has been instrumental in ISRO-NASA co-operation for joint satellite development on L & S band SAR.