“My professor advised me to join MIT...

K. SIVAN,63

His decision to join MIT led him to study aerospace engineering and subsequently join ISRO where he made a mark in launch vehicle systems and rose to become chairman

Few can forget the sight of Dr Kailasavadivoo Sivan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), weeping on the shoulders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the mission control centre after India’s moon lander failed to land in the final phase of its descent on the lunar surface. As the prime minister consoled the ISRO chief, the scene, telecast live on national television, saw a wave of sympathy for Sivan and his colleagues despite the setback