On August 12, 1919, Dr Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai was born in Ahmedabad into a family whose influence in business and philanthropy provided him both the means and the environment to nurture a dream that would one day propel Bharat into the front ranks of the world’s spacefaring nations. Today, on his birth anniversary, the nation recalls the man whose relentless vision transformed Bharat from a country dependent on foreign technology into a scientific powerhouse with an independent space program.
“We must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to the real problems of man and society,” Sarabhai once said—a declaration that has become the philosophical bedrock of Bharat ‘s space policy.
Born into the prominent Sarabhai family, young Vikram was immersed in an atmosphere of intellectual curiosity and civic engagement. After completing his early education in Gujarat, he pursued a degree in natural sciences at the University of Cambridge. The outbreak of World War II brought him back to Bharat, where he joined the Indian Institute of Science under Nobel laureate C.V. Raman.
Returning to Cambridge after the war, Sarabhai completed his PhD in Cosmic Ray Physics in 1947. His doctoral work was not merely academic—it reflected an early focus on space and atmospheric phenomena that would later define his career.
In 1947, the very year Bharat gained independence, Sarabhai founded the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad. With just a small team, PRL became the nucleus of Bharat’s space research activities. It was here that Sarabhai began formulating the idea that space technology should serve national development goals, not just scientific curiosity.
Architect of Bharat’s Space Programme
In the early 1960s, when the world was gripped by the Space Race between the USA and USSR, Sarabhai convinced Bharat’s leadership that space technology was not a luxury for a developing country but a necessity. His persuasion led to the formation of INCOSPAR (Indian National Committee for Space Research) in 1962, which later evolved into the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969.
Under Sarabhai’s leadership:
- Bharat’s first sounding rocket was launched from Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1963.
- Satellite technology was harnessed for communication, weather forecasting, and education.
- The groundwork was laid for the Aryabhata satellite, which launched in 1975, four years after his death.
Sarabhai’s vision extended well beyond ISRO. He was instrumental in establishing:
- Indian Institute of Management–Ahmedabad (IIM-A) – Bringing world-class management education to Bharat.
- National Institute of Design (NID) – Revolutionising industrial and product design in the country.
- Community Science Centre (now Vikram A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre) – Inspiring young minds in science and technology.
As an industrialist, he successfully led Sarabhai Chemicals, Swastik, and Sarabhai Glass, marrying entrepreneurial efficiency with scientific advancement.
Sarabhai’s contributions earned him:
- Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (1962) for Physics.
- Padma Bhushan (1966) for his pioneering work in science.
- Padma Vibhushan (1972, posthumously).
Internationally, his name is immortalised with a moon crater “Bessel A” named in his honour, and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram stands as ISRO’s key rocket development hub.
Sarabhai’s sudden death on December 30, 1971 at the age of 52 was a huge loss to the scientific community. Yet, his vision lives on in every Indian space mission—from the launch of the PSLV and GSLV rockets to the triumph of Chandrayaan-3 and the upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.
His philosophy that advanced technology should address Bharat’s developmental needs—remains the guiding principle of ISRO, influencing projects that bring satellite TV to rural villages, predict monsoons for farmers, and connect schools through digital learning.
On his 106th birth anniversary, Bharat salutes Dr Vikram Sarabhai not merely as a scientist, but as a nation-builder who envisioned an Bharat that reaches for the stars while staying rooted in solving the problems on the ground. His life’s work is proof that dreams, when combined with courage and clear vision, can defy limitations.
In the words of ISRO scientists who continue his mission: “We are living in Sarabhai’s dream and making it bigger every day.”
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