From ₹40,000 at ISRO to a $1.1 billion Space Unicorn

When Pawan Kumar Chandana walked out of IIT Kharagpur in 2012, most of his peers were hunting high‑paying private‑sector gigs. He, however, signed up with ISRO – the Indian Space Research Organisation – and his first paycheck read a modest ₹40,000 a month. It felt like a gamble, and he admits it was not the usual route for an IIT grad.

“From IIT to a government job right away? That’s odd, even a bit crazy,” Chandana recalled in a recent CNBC‑TV18 chat, chuckling at the memory. Yet for him, the draw wasn’t the salary; it was the chance to work on cutting‑edge rockets and satellites, the kind of tech that makes you stay up late dreaming about the stars.

He spent nearly six years at ISRO, learning the ropes, watching launches from the control room, and soaking up the culture of disciplined, high‑stakes engineering. In those years, he also met Naga Bharath Daka, another ISRO engineer who shared his restless curiosity.

In 2018 the duo decided to step out of the government’s safe harbor. With a mix of optimism, a dash of fear, and a whole lot of coffee, they founded Skyroot Aerospace in Hyderabad. Their first big milestone came on 18 November 2022, when Skyroot lifted Vikram‑S – India’s inaugural privately built sub‑orbital rocket – into the sky.

Fast forward to Saturday, July 2026: Skyroot’s Vikram‑1 became the first privately developed Indian rocket to reach orbit. The achievement was more than a headline; it was a validation of a vision that started with a ₹40 K salary and a dream of making space accessible.

Today, Skyroot Aerospace is officially a unicorn, flaunting a valuation of $1.1 billion. Chandana, now the company’s CEO, often jokes that his bank balance finally matches his ambition, but he remains grounded. “The money is nice, sure, but what drives me is still the thrill of building something that can leave Earth’s pull,” he says.

Beyond the numbers, Chandana uses his platform to urge young engineers to follow their passion, not the paycheck. In an interview with ThePrint, he said, “I joined ISRO on ₹35,000 – don’t let the salary dictate your path. If you love what you do, success follows, and the satisfaction is worth more than any cheque.”

His story also highlights how the Indian space sector, once considered a niche, now employs thousands and is buzzing with startups. “When I was in IIT, aerospace was frowned upon – people said there were no jobs,” Chandana reflects. “Look at us now. We’re just at the beginning.”