Honorary Doctorate Recipient

Professor Satya Chakravarthy
Professor, IIT Madras
Co-Founder & Technical Lead, The ePlane Company

Professor Satya Chakravarthy is a deep-tech serial entrepreneur and Professor at IIT Madras, bringing a rare mix of entrepreneurial experience and academic depth. He holds a B Tech in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Madras and a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His work spans aerospace, spacetech, AI, and autonomy, drawing insights across frontier-technology ventures. At IIT Madras, he engages one of India’s strongest research ecosystems, accelerating prototyping, testing, and access to top-tier talent while enabling strategic partnerships across the deep-tech world.

Driven by a curiosity for the skies and a vision for a transformed future, Professor Chakravarthy has blended academic pursuit with entrepreneurial action. He has launched ventures addressing challenges in mobility, space, and aerial technologies, from ePlane’s short-range electric flight to GalaxEye’s space-based intelligence, Agnikul’s agile access to orbit, Amber Wings’ drone systems, and TuTr Hyperloop’s high-speed ground mobility.

He engages actively in public speaking and educational outreach, delivering TEDx talks and industry lectures, alongside teaching specialised courses such as Combustion and Electric Aircraft Propulsion. His philosophy of “Defrastructure” champions innovation designed for real-world impact.