Vikram Sarabhai

Dr Vikram Sarabhai was one of those rare people who seemed to have it all. Supremely intelligent and born into a wealthy family of industrialists, he could have been content to live a life of ease and luxury. Instead, he used his gifts to help India rise after Independence. A renowned scientist, industrialist, institution builder, diplomat, social reformer, and visionary, Dr Sarabhai believed that science and education could help India leapfrog into the future. Never one to doubt the capabilities of his fellow Indians, Dr Sarabhai set about building a space programme at a time when India was still a fledgling nation. He used atomic energy and space technology to develop agriculture, fisheries, meteorology, education, and communications. Along the way, he set up the IIM-A, PRL and that beacon of light on India’s shining sky - ISRO. Warm, inclusive, generous, charming, eternally optimistic, and always courteous, Dr Sarabhai propelled India firmly into the Space Age while himself remaining completely down-to-earth.