Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology - IIST

18/08/2026

𝐈𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐢 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

🚀 A Day of Celebration, Connection and Giving Back at IIST

15 August 2026 was a memorable day for the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and the IIST Alumni Association (IISTAA), as 50+ alumni from various graduating batches reunited with students, faculty and Institute leadership for a vibrant Alumni Meet — held alongside India's 80th Independence Day celebrations.

✨ Highlights of the Day:

🏅 IISTAA Alumni Awards (first-ever edition!)

B.Tech Community Builder Award → Shreya Pagadakula, for her outstanding contribution to student community building through clubs, the college fest, and social outreach
M.Tech Innovator Award → Gnaneshwaran A S, for exemplary research, publications and scientific excellence

🪪 Unveiling of the new IIST Alumni ID Card design

🏛️ Inauguration of the new IISTAA Office by the Vice Chancellor and Pro Vice Chancellor — a dedicated space for alumni engagement

🔥 11th Edition of Ignite, featuring talks by:

Raghava K, Founder & CEO, Sanyark Space
Dr. Elizabeth George, Co-founder, XARK Technologies
Aswin Jacob Thomas, Associate Vice President, InspeCity
sharing insights on entrepreneurship and India's growing space-tech ecosystem

🤝 Alumni–Student Engagement through mentorship interactions, an Alumni Unconference, and an orientation programme for first-year students

🎭 A vibrant cultural programme by students closed out the day

The event marked a major milestone in strengthening the IIST Alumni Community — celebrating mentorship, collaboration, and the enduring IIST family across generations. 🇮🇳🚀

18/08/2026

𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 @ 𝐈𝐈𝐒𝐓 - 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

As part of National Space Day Celebration, IIST is hosting the second Open House @ IIST on 19th August 2026. Prof. Kuruvilla Joseph, Pro Vice Chancellor, IIST, will interact with visiting students at the MPH during the "Ignite and Inspire" programme.

18/08/2026

𝐃𝐃 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐈𝐈𝐒𝐓

IIST की लैब्स में तैयार हो रहा भारत के अंतरिक्ष भविष्य का खाका!के...

17/08/2026

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

17/08/2026

𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 @ 𝐈𝐈𝐒𝐓 - 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 -𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 🚀 🛸 🛰️👨‍🚀🪐

As part of the National Space Day 2026 celebrations, IIST has organised an "Open House" on 13 August 2026 to provide students and faculty from schools and colleges with an opportunity to visit the institute's academic, research, and innovation ecosystem.
The programme saw participation from schools and colleges across the country, providing students with an opportunity to interact with the academic and research community and to gain firsthand exposure to different domains of space sciences.
Prof. K. S. S. Moosath, Dean (SA&O), welcomed the visitors. An interactive session with Prof. Dipankar Banerjee, Vice-Chancellor, IIST, was organised as part of the programme titled "Expert Insights". Vice Chancellor briefly introduced the academic and research activities of the IIST and gave a talk on the Aditya-L1 mission. Students interacted and cleared their questions about the Aditya mission.

One of the highlights of the Open House was an interaction with Dr. Yedhu Krishna, CEO, Specrule Scientific Pvt. Ltd., an IIST-incubated start-up. The session introduced students to the journey of innovation and entrepreneurship and demonstrated how scientific and technological ideas can be translated into practical applications.
The visiting students also witnessed hands-on demonstrations by IIST student clubs, including the Aero Club and Rocketry Club. The demonstrations provided a platform for students to understand the practical aspects of aerospace engineering, rocketry and related technologies, while also showcasing the technical activities and initiatives undertaken by IIST students.
An important part of the Open House was the guided tour of IIST's state-of-the-art research laboratories and facilities. The participants were introduced to the research labs and advanced facilities available at the institute.

The enthusiastic participation of around 320 students from institutions in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and their active involvement in various activities, reflected the growing interest among young learners in India's space programme and related technological fields. The event successfully contributed to the objectives of the National Space Day 2026 celebrations by providing students with meaningful exposure to IIST’s academic, research, and innovation programmes.

16/08/2026

𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐊𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐦

Prof. Kuruvilla Joseph, Pro Vice Chancellor, IIST, inaugurated the Two Day Space Exhibition "From Space to Society" and delivered the keynote address on 13th August 2026 at Science City, Kottayam.

16/08/2026

𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐈𝐒𝐓 🇮🇳

IIST celebrated the 80th Independence Day with immense patriotic fervor and solemnity on campus.

The event commenced with the arrival of Prof. Dipankar Banerjee, Vice Chancellor, who was formally received by the CISF contingent. The Vice Chancellor inspected a ceremonial Guard of Honour presented by the CISF personnel before hoisting the National Flag.

Prof. Dipankar Banerjee delivered the Independence Day speech, addressing the students, faculty, staff, CISF, and family members. He reminded everyone that freedom always comes hand-in-hand with immense responsibilities and urged everyone to honour the sacrifices made by past generations. As a premier academic institution, he emphasized that IIST’s primary responsibility is to safeguard and advance India's space and scientific capabilities. Celebrating the beauty of India's "Unity in Diversity," he noted how the institute's shared enthusiasm matches with the nation's vision headed by the Honorable Prime Minister.

He further highlighted that with IIST’s active involvement in key national initiatives, the institute is working towards the Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat. Looking to the future, he stressed the vital importance of training the next generation and pursuing multidisciplinary research, especially as new private space players emerge alongside ISRO to open up unprecedented possibilities and opportunities. Concluding his speech, the Vice Chancellor extended his warm Independence Day greetings and called upon the entire IIST community to work hand-in-hand toward building a developed nation.

The Krav Maga demonstration by the CISF personnel held the audience's complete focus, leaving everyone in awe of their exceptional tactical prowess. Executing lightning-fast strikes, decisive disarms, and seamless defense maneuvers, the CISF demonstrated exactly how to tackle high-threat, high-stress situations with absolute precision.

Prof. Dipankar Banerjee (Vice Chancellor) and Prof. Kuruvilla Joseph (Pro Vice Chancellor) jointly distributed prizes to the winners of the Hindi competitions, the SC/ST Cell elocution competition, and the events organized for wards of CISF personnel. The event concluded on a sweet note with the distribution of sweets to all attendees, marking a joyous end to the celebrations.

16/08/2026

𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 @ 𝐈𝐈𝐒𝐔

Prof. Kuruvilla Joseph, Pro Vice Chancellor, IIST, attended National Space Day Celebration @ IISU

14/08/2026

𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭

As part of the National Space Day 2026 celebrations, IIST hosted a Science and Technology Exposure Visit on 14 August 2026 for 45 students and 6 faculty members from Chettinad College of Engineering and Technology. The students were briefed on IIST’s academic programmes and R&D activities and visited state-of-the-art facilities, including the Satellite Ground Station, Virtual Reality Lab, ChemiSens Lab, and Electronic Materials and Devices Lab. They also interacted with IIST students and staff and met Prof. Kuruvilla Joseph, Pro Vice-Chancellor, IIST, gaining valuable insights into higher education, research and career opportunities in space science and technology.

14/08/2026

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐛 𝐈𝐧𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧