Ex-Isro chief urges ISB grads to opt for life-long learning Combine research with business model
Hyderabad: Isro former chairman S. Somanath urged young graduates to be lifelong learners and embrace failure with determination. He was addressing the convocation ceremony of the Post Graduate Programme (PGP) Class of 2025 at the Indian School of Business (ISB), here on Saturday.
Somanath encouraged students to combine strong research with viable business models to enable product innovation that drives economic growth. Highlighting the need to scale space research into application domains, he said, “Trade and commerce have played their role. It is now time for technological advancement to lead the economy. Sectors like health, medicine, electronics and AI hold immense potential for economic returns.”
He underlined the importance of an entrepreneurial mindset to identify economic opportunities. “In the space sector, 70 per cent of revenue is generated through applications of space technology. Rockets, satellites and related infrastructure contribute only 30 per cent and demand heavy investment with long gestation periods before yielding returns,” he noted.
Reflecting on his tenure as Isro chief, Somanath said, “We did what was once unthinkable. We opened the space sector to private investment with 100 per cent FDI and introduced the Space Policy in 2023. This has enabled more than 250 start-ups to emerge in India’s space ecosystem. We have made our presence felt globally. Soon, our children will launch their own satellites and rockets, bringing vibrancy to the sector.”
A total of 563 students from the PGP Class of 2025, along with three scholars from the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) and 16 scholars from the Executive Fellow Programme in Management (EFPM), graduated from ISB. Certificates were awarded by dignitaries including Rakesh Bharti Mittal, chairperson of ISB Mohali Campus Advisory Board and Prof. Madan Pillutla, dean of ISB.
