Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram

The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), located in Thiruvananthapuram, is a Deemed to be University under Section 3 of the UGC Act of 1956. It operates as an autonomous institution under the Department of Space, Government of India. The establishment of IIST was driven by the need for highly skilled personnel to support the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), a leading global entity in space research and applications. As the first institution of its kind in India, IIST provides top-notch education at the undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral levels, with a special emphasis on space sciences, technology, and applications.

IIST was officially inaugurated on September 14, 2007, by Dr. G. Madhavan Nair, then Chairman of ISRO, and initially operated from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, near the site of ISRO’s first rocket launch. The institute was co-founded by Dr. G. Madhavan Nair and Dr. B.N. Suresh, the latter being its first Director. Both played crucial roles in its establishment and vision. Dr. B.N. Suresh guided the institute from its inception to the realization of its permanent campus, which was completed in 2010 near Thiruvananthapuram.