Pawan Kumar Chandana: From 51 in Maths to India’s Largest Rocket Factory

Summary:

• Pawan Kumar Chandana scored just 51 marks in mathematics during school but went on to build Skyroot Aerospace, India’s largest private rocket manufacturing facility.
• From working at ISRO to launching India’s first privately developed rocket Vikram-S, Pawan’s journey showcases how resilience beats early failures.
• Startup INDIAX explores how this Vizag-born entrepreneur is revolutionizing India’s space industry with over $68 million in funding and groundbreaking technology.

Imagine scoring 51 out of 100 in mathematics and then building India’s largest private rocket factory. Sounds impossible? Not for Pawan Kumar Chandana.

This isn’t your typical rags-to-riches story. It’s about a boy from Visakhapatnam who struggled with numbers in school but ended up launching rockets into space. Today, Pawan’s company, Skyroot Aerospace, stands as India’s first private space launch vehicle manufacturer and it’s changing how India approaches space technology.

Most startup founders will tell you about their early wins. Pawan’s story starts with failure. And that’s exactly what makes it worth telling.

According to Startup INDIAX research, only 3% of Indian space-tech startups achieve Series B funding. Skyroot isn’t just in that 3% it’s leading the pack. Here’s how a student who failed maths became the man building India’s answer to SpaceX.

The Boy From Vizag Who Struggled With Numbers

Early Academic Challenges

Pawan Kumar Chandana grew up in Visakhapatnam, a coastal city in Andhra Pradesh. While his peers were acing mathematics tests, young Pawan was struggling. That infamous 51 marks in maths? It wasn’t an anomaly. He found numbers challenging throughout his early education.

“I wasn’t naturally good at mathematics,” Pawan admitted in a 2023 interview. “But I was curious about how things worked especially machines and rockets.“

That curiosity became his compass. While traditional education systems measure intelligence through test scores, Pawan was developing something more valuable: problem-solving instinct and relentless persistence.

💡 Key Takeaway: Early academic struggles don’t define your entrepreneurial potential. Curiosity and persistence often matter more than perfect grades.

The Turning Point at IIT Kharagpur

Here’s where the story gets interesting. Despite his shaky math scores, Pawan cracked one of India’s toughest exams the IIT-JEE. He secured admission to IIT Kharagpur for Aerospace Engineering.

Think about that for a moment. A student who scored 51 in maths chose aerospace engineering one of the most mathematics-intensive fields out there.

At IIT Kharagpur, Pawan didn’t just survive; he thrived. He graduated with a degree in Aerospace Engineering and later pursued a Master’s degree from the same institution. The difference? He was finally studying something he was passionate about.

Read More : Can EtherealX Revolutionize India’s Space Race With Its Reusable Rocket Tech?

From ISRO Engineer to Entrepreneur

Five Years at India’s Space Agency

After IIT, Pawan joined the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) the dream destination for any aerospace engineer in India. From 2011 to 2016, he worked on satellite launch vehicle programs.

Those five years weren’t just about gaining experience. Pawan was studying the system, understanding gaps, and identifying opportunities. He worked on critical projects, learned from India’s best rocket scientists, and absorbed everything about launch vehicle technology.

But something was brewing in his mind. India’s space sector was entirely government-controlled. Private players? Non-existent. Commercial space launches? Not even on the radar.

The Bold Decision to Leave ISRO

In 2016, Pawan made a decision that shocked his colleagues he quit ISRO to start a private rocket company.

Remember, this was 2016. India didn’t have a regulatory framework for private space companies. There was no precedent, no success stories to follow, and definitely no safety net.

“People thought we were crazy,” Pawan recalled. “But we saw an opportunity. If private companies could build rockets, we could make space access affordable and frequent.“

His former ISRO colleague, Naga Bharath Daka, shared the same vision. Together, they co-founded Skyroot Aerospace in June 2018.

💡 Key Takeaway: Sometimes the biggest opportunities exist in sectors where everyone says “it can’t be done.” Pawan saw potential where others saw regulatory roadblocks.

Building Skyroot Aerospace: India’s First Private Rocket Company

Co-founding With Naga Bharath Daka

Pawan and Bharath didn’t just want to build a space company they wanted to democratize space access. Their vision was clear: develop cost-effective, reliable launch vehicles for small satellites.

They started Skyroot in Hyderabad with a small team of engineers, most of them ex-ISRO scientists who believed in the mission. The name “Skyroot” comes from Hindu mythology the cosmic tree that connects heaven and earth. Fitting for a company building bridges to space.

The early days were tough. Funding was scarce, talent was skeptical about joining a startup over ISRO, and regulations were unclear. But Pawan’s ISRO experience gave him credibility. Investors started paying attention.

The Vikram Series: Making History

Skyroot’s product lineup the Vikram series of launch vehicles is named after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space program.

Vikram-S: On November 18, 2022, Skyroot launched Vikram-S, India’s first privately developed rocket. The suborbital test flight from ISRO’s Sriharikota facility was a historic moment. India had joined the elite club of nations with private space launch capabilities.

Vikram-1, Vikram-2, and Vikram-3: These are orbital launch vehicles designed to carry payloads ranging from 300 kg to 700 kg. Vikram-1 is scheduled for launch in 2025, with pre-orders already secured from international clients.

The technology is impressive. Skyroot uses 3D-printed rocket engines, carbon composite structures, and green propulsion systems. It’s cutting-edge stuff but what’s more impressive is the speed. From founding to first launch took just four years.

Read More : Skyroot Aerospace Set to Launch India’s First Private Rocket

India’s Largest Private Rocket Manufacturing Facility

Scale of Operations

In 2024, Skyroot opened what it calls India’s largest private rocket manufacturing facility in Hyderabad. This isn’t a small workshop it’s a 100,000 square foot facility capable of producing 40+ rockets annually.

The factory includes dedicated areas for:

• Rocket engine manufacturing and testing
• Composite structure fabrication
• Avionics integration
• Quality control and testing labs

“We’re not building one rocket at a time anymore,” Pawan explained. “We’re setting up production lines. Scale matters if we want to compete globally.“

Technology and Innovation

Skyroot holds several Indian patents in rocket technology. Their innovations include:

3D-Printed Cryogenic Engines: Skyroot developed India’s first fully 3D-printed cryogenic rocket engine, Dhawan-1, tested successfully in 2021. This technology reduces manufacturing time by 80%.

Green Propulsion: Unlike traditional rockets using toxic hydrazine, Skyroot is developing propulsion systems using hydrogen peroxidesafer and more environmentally friendly.

Modular Design: The Vikram series uses a modular architecture, allowing rapid customization based on payload requirements.

According to a 2024 report by the Indian Space Association, Skyroot’s manufacturing efficiency is 40% higher than traditional aerospace manufacturers. That’s the startup advantage.

💡 Key Takeaway: Technology innovation combined with manufacturing scale creates competitive advantage. Skyroot isn’t just building rockets it’s building a scalable rocket production system.

Funding Success and Industry Recognition

Money talks, especially in capital-intensive industries like aerospace. Skyroot has raised over $68 million across multiple funding rounds.

Notable investors include:

• Solar Industries India (₹100 crore investment in 2024)
• Singapore’s GIC sovereign wealth fund
• Greenko Group founders
• Mukesh Bansal (Myntra co-founder)

The Series B round in 2023 was led by GIC and valued Skyroot at approximately $200 million. Not bad for a company that didn’t exist seven years ago.

Pawan himself has received recognition:

• Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2019)
• Economic Times Startup Awards nominee (2023)
• Featured by Startup INDIAX as one of India’s top space-tech innovators

Read More : Aman Sanger: How a 25-Year-Old Built Cursor Into a $29B AI Giant

What Makes Pawan’s Journey Inspiring

Let’s be real Pawan’s story hits differently because it challenges conventional wisdom.

First, he proved that academic performance in school doesn’t determine real-world success. That 51 in maths? It’s now a symbol of resilience, not failure.

Second, he took the road less traveled. Leaving a prestigious ISRO job to start a company in an unproven sector takes guts. Most people would call it career suicide. Pawan called it opportunity.

Third, he’s building for scale from day one. Skyroot isn’t a science project it’s a manufacturing powerhouse aiming to compete with global players like Rocket Lab and SpaceX.

Finally, he’s opened doors for others. Skyroot now employs over 200 engineers, many of them young graduates who might have otherwise joined traditional aerospace companies or gone abroad.

“My message to young entrepreneurs is simple,” Pawan said at a 2024 startup conference. “Don’t let early failures define you. Let them fuel you.“

Conclusion

From scoring 51 in maths to building India’s largest private rocket factory Pawan Kumar Chandana’s journey isn’t just inspiring, it’s instructive.

He showed us that passion beats perfection, that taking calculated risks can redefine industries, and that India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is ready to take on challenges as complex as space exploration.

Skyroot Aerospace isn’t just launching rockets. It’s launching a new era for Indian space technology one where private innovation complements government efforts, where manufacturing scale meets cutting-edge technology, and where a boy from Vizag can literally reach for the stars.

Want to follow more stories like Pawan’s? Startup INDIAX covers India’s most inspiring founder journeys, from space tech to fintech. Because every great company starts with someone brave enough to ignore the doubters.

What’s your biggest takeaway from Pawan’s story? Drop a comment below and let’s discuss how failure can become your biggest advantage.

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