ISRO Pioneer Who Brought Satellite TV to Villages Passes Away at 100

Professor Eknath Vasant Chitnis, one of the founding architects of India’s space programme, passed away in Pune on October 22, 2025, at the age of 100.

Legacy Highlights

• Handpicked by Dr Vikram Sarabhai, Chitnis played a pivotal role in shaping INCOSPAR into what became ISRO.
• He led the selection of India’s first launch sites—Thumba in Kerala and Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
• As Director of the Space Applications Centre, he spearheaded the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) in 1975–76, bringing educational TV to 2,400 villages using NASA’s ATS-6 satellite.
• He was instrumental in recruiting Dr APJ Abdul Kalam into ISRO.
• Honored with the Padma Bhushan in 1985 for his contributions to science and education.

Chitnis also served on the Board of Directors of Press Trust of India for nearly three decades, twice as chairman. His passing marks the end of an era in Indian space science, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape the nation’s technological ambitions.

IndianaWeb2.com mourn the passing of Prof. Eknath Vasant Chitnis, a visionary scientist and founding architect of India’s space programme. His contributions laid the groundwork for ISRO’s rise and India’s journey into space.

A Lifelong Commitment to Science
Prof. Chitnis’s work bridged technology and education, empowering generations through satellite communication and digital infrastructure. His legacy lives on in every rocket launched, every satellite deployed, and every young mind inspired by India’s space story.