IITalks – Satya Chakravarthy – IITM BTech Aero ’92
The very first in our IITalks series is by Satyanarayanan Chakraavarthi (Satya).
Satya finished his BTech in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Madras in 1991, and after his Masters & PhD from Georgia Tech, joined back as faculty at IITM.
Satya is well known for his research in rocket propulsion, combustion and most prominently, for his contribution to a large number of startups in diverse domains such as electric air taxis, hyperloop, satellite imaging, rockets, biofuels and more!
Here’s Satya’s insights on IITalks:
IIT-Bombay Unveils Two New Courses Launching in July 2025
IIT Bombay is launching two innovative courses in July 2025—a BS in Applied Geophysics and an M.Tech in Climate & Sustainability—to meet today's evolving educational needs. At its interim 63rd Convocation, IIT Bombay awarded 354 degrees (including 219 PhDs, 36...
Electrify Your Career: IIT Bombay Launches an 18-Month e-Mobility e-Postgrad Diploma
IIT Bombay introduces an 18-month e-Postgraduate Diploma in E-Mobility starting March 2025, targeting professionals and recent graduates in electric vehicle technology. The course, delivered in partnership with Great Learning, combines theoretical concepts with...
IIT Bombay Couple Pledges $11 Million Donation to Their Alma Mater
IIT Bombay alumni Jitendra Mohan and Swapna Samant have pledged $11 million (₹95 crore) to their alma mater. The donation will fund SemiX Research in semiconductor technology, establish the Vidya Sharma Chair Professorship to support women in STEM, and redevelop...
IIT Power: Founders from IITs Represent a Third of India’s Top Startups
About one-third of the 388 founders of India's top 200 companies (founded since 2000) are IITians, with IIT Delhi leading with 36 alumni founders, followed by IIT Bombay (20) and IIT Kharagpur (19). These IIT-founded startups have a combined valuation of approximately...
Chennai Roots: Usha Vance’s Dad, an IIT-Madras Alumnus
Usha Vance, wife of US Vice President-designate J D Vance, carries a Chennai connection through IIT-Madras. Her father, Radhakrishan, was an M.Tech student and her grandfather, Rama Sastri, the first Head of the IIT-Madras Physics Department. The family later migrated...
Indian-Origin Engineer Sanjeev Sharma Fuels SpaceX’s Reusable Rocket Triumph
Sanjeev Sharma, an Indian-origin engineer at SpaceX, has gained viral attention for his pivotal role in developing a fully reusable rocket system. Contributing to SpaceX's recent historic achievement of successfully capturing its Starship rocket's super heavy booster...
IIT Alum Turned Monk Acharya Jaishankar Narayanan Shines at Maha Kumbh 2025
IIT-BHU alum Acharya Narayanan left a corporate path at Tata Steel to embrace Vedanta, transforming his life into one of spiritual teaching and deep introspection. Inspired by a life-changing encounter with Swami Dayanand Saraswati, he has spent over 20 years guiding...
From Stealth Resignation to Rs 1,000 Crore Success: The IIT Grad’s Journey
Inspired by his father's resilience and the competitive spirit at IIT, Rishi Das quit his corporate job without a concrete plan, embracing the uncertainty of entrepreneurship with strong family support. At 24, he co-founded CareerNet with his brother in 1999, growing...
Bharat Desai: IIT Alumnus, Syntel Co-Founder, and Billionaire
Bharat Desai transitioned from a Tata Consultancy Services employee to co-founding Syntel with his wife Neerja, paving the way for his self-made billionaire status. Desai’s academic credentials include an electrical engineering degree from IIT Bombay and an MBA from...