Satish Dhawan, Isro and the failure that humiliated APJ Abdul Kalam

In July 1979, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) faced a devastating satellite launch failure. At the time, APJ Abdul Kalam was leading the mission. When some of the team members expressed reservations about its readiness, he overruled them and ordered it to go ahead.
Unfortunately, the mission failed, and the satellite ended up in the Bay of Bengal instead of reaching space. APJ Abdul Kalam, who led the project, was devastated by the failure and dreaded having to announce it to the media.
However, Dhawan, who was serving as Chairman of Isro at the time, stepped in, facing the cameras himself instead of allowing young Kalam. He expressed full confidence in his team despite the setback and assured the public that they would succeed in their next attempt.
With the weight of the failure on his shoulders, Dhawan stood tall, shielding Kalam from the glare of the press and calmly assuring the nation that success was just around the corner.
True to his word, within a month, Isro soared to new heights. Dhawan’s leadership at that pivotal moment wasn’t just about managing a setback, it became a lesson in grace, trust, and unwavering belief in his team.

(Image: Roddam Narasimha / IISc Archives)

After this success, Dhawan allowed Kalam to announce the achievement. Reflecting on the event in later years, particularly during his presidency, Kalam often said, “When the failure occurred, the leader owned it. When success came, he gave credit to his team.”
Born on September 25, 1920, in Srinagar, Satish Dhawan, the son of a judge, was raised and educated in Lahore. There, he earned degrees in physics, mathematics, literature, and mechanical engineering. While it might seem unusual for a science student to study literature, Dhawan excelled in both fields.
Lahore, during the 1930s and 1940s, was a hub of cultural and intellectual exchange, blending Hindu, Islamic, Sikh, and European scholarly traditions, providing a fertile ground for its diverse academic pursuits.
In 1945, after completing his third degree, Dhawan moved to Bangalore and worked at the newly established Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Shortly after, he left for the United States, where he earned an MS from the University of Minnesota and later an MS and PhD in aeronautical engineering from the California Institute of Technology.

Professor Satish Dhawan

He was abroad when India gained independence, and Partition forced his family to relocate from Pakistan to India.
After completing his studies, Dhawan’s patriotism brought him back to India, where he joined the Aeronautics Department at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
His former student, Roddam Narasimha, fondly recalls how Dhawan introduced “youth, freshness, modernity, earnestness, and Californian informality” to the Institute, leaving a lasting impact on students and colleagues alike.
Satish Dhawan played a key role in shaping India’s scientific future, starting with his work on building the country’s first supersonic wind tunnels.
In 1962, he was appointed director of the IISc, which at the time, according to one chronicler, was “slowly slipping into a comfortable state of academic slumber.” Dhawan revitalised the institute, turning it into India’s top research centre.
Under his leadership, new programmes in fields like computer science, molecular biophysics, solid-state chemistry, ecology, and atmospheric science flourished, attracting brilliant minds from across the world.

Satish Dhawan (left) and Roddam Narasimha (centre), with KR Narayanan (Image: Roddam Narasimha/IISc Archives)

In 1971, Dhawan took a sabbatical to return to Caltech for hands-on research. But during his time in the US, tragedy struck Indian science with the sudden death of Vikram Sarabhai, head of the space programme, at just 52. His loss was a major setback for the nation’s nascent space efforts.
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, acting on the advice of her principal secretary, PN Haksar, sent a cable to Dhawan, urging him to take over as chairman of Isro.
Dhawan agreed, but on two conditions: he would continue as IISc director, and Isro’s headquarters would move from Ahmedabad to Bangalore. Indira Gandhi agreed, along with a third request, that Dhawan complete his year of research at Caltech before taking on his new responsibilities back in India.
In his book ISRO: A Personal History, R Aravamudan offers a vivid account of how Satish Dhawan transformed Isro after taking over as chairman. He contrasts Dhawan’s leadership with that of his predecessor, Vikram Sarabhai, writing, “Sarabhai’s management style was like a patriarch overseeing a small, close-knit family.”
Sarabhai’s approach was informal, with no formal systems or structured teams. According to Aravamudan, this worked while Isro was still small, but as the organisation grew and its goals became more ambitious, this method no longer suited its needs.
Dhawan’s priority was to bring order to the scattered teams. He integrated them, defining clear roles and responsibilities for each. He introduced a more structured management style by creating programme-based centres with strong leadership.

Isro Centre Bangalore (Image: Getty)

Dhawan also initiated a National Review of Isro’s long-term goals, involving both internal and external experts to chart a strategic path forward.
Satish Dhawan’s leadership left a lasting impact on two of India’s most important institutions, Isro and the IISc.
Jyotsna Dhawan, daughter of Satish Dhawan and a distinguished Indian biologist, reflects on her father’s deep sense of social responsibility.
She recalls during the launch of the building centre at Sriharikota, named after Satish Dhawan, how the displacement of the Yanadi tribe during the construction of the Sriharikota launch centre weighed heavily on him. It was a concern rooted in the larger issue of mass displacement happening across India in the name of development.
Dhawan worked hard to ensure some reparations were made, and he deeply admired Medha Patkar’s tireless efforts to highlight the struggles of displaced communities.
Satish Dhawan stands among the greatest modern Indian figures, comparable to JRD Tata in entrepreneurship, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay in the arts and crafts sector, and Verghese Kurien in the cooperative movement.
His life offers valuable lessons for today’s leaders in fields, whether in science, politics, business, or civil society. Dhawan exemplified integrity, both personally and professionally, and had an extraordinary ability to identify and nurture talent.
He wisely allocated responsibilities, and his generosity of spirit ensured that he allowed others to take credit for success while he took responsibility for failures, a hallmark of true leadership.