Dr. Srimathy Kesan

	Dr. Srimathy Kesan
Born	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Entrepreneur, Space Educator, Social Activist
Known for	Founder and CEO of Space Kidz India; creator of KalamSAT and AzaadiSAT
Education	Travel and Tourism Management; Honorary Ph.D. (Education through Travel), Cosmopolitan University (USA)
Years active	2010–present
Organization	Space Kidz India (SKI)
Website	https://www.spacekidzindia.in/

Dr. Srimathy Kesan is an Indian entrepreneur, space educator, and social activist. She is the founder and CEO of Space Kidz India (SKI), an aerospace organization dedicated to promoting STEM education and designing student-built small satellites launched by ISRO and NASA. Under her leadership, SKI has inspired thousands of young minds and made history through missions like KalamSAT and AzaadiSAT.

Early life and education

Dr. Srimathy Kesan pursued her foundational education in Travel and Tourism Management and later received an honorary Ph.D. in "Education through Travel" from Cosmopolitan University, USA. She was a distinguished cadet in the National Cadet Corps (NCC), becoming the first female cadet to command her battalion parade. In 1992, she was named “Best Cadet” and Parade Commander for the Andhra Pradesh Contingent and was selected for the prestigious Republic Day Guard of Honour at the Prime Minister’s Rally. A talented athlete, she represented Andhra Pradesh in ten National basketball tournaments and competed in athletics disciplines including shot put, javelin, and relay races. She earned multiple medals and held the NCC rank of *Senior Under Officer* in the 1(A) Girls Battalion.

Career

Space Kidz India

Dr. Srimathy founded Space Kidz India (SKI) to democratize access to space and encourage innovation among students. Over a decade, she has guided the development and launch of numerous satellites, including:

KALAMSAT – The world’s smallest and lightest satellite, launched by NASA.
KALAMSAT-V2, SD SAT, AzaadiSAT, and AzaadiSAT 2.0 – Launched by ISRO.
Near Space Launch Vehicle (NSLV) – A collaborative initiative with the Government of Rajasthan.

Under her leadership, SKI has achieved over 18 BalloonSats, 2 suborbital payloads, and 5 orbital satellite launches.

International collaborations

She is the only Indian recognized as an Ambassador to NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Moscow. Key projects include:

Mission PAYANKE (Seychelles) – A UNESCO-funded space education program.
Friendship Satellite – A joint project with the Moscow Aviation Institute celebrating Indo–Russian relations.
NSLV-6 Balloon Mission – Launched from NASA’s Columbia facility with payloads designed by children aged 10–15.

Zero gravity flight

Dr. Srimathy became the first Indian woman to experience weightlessness aboard a zero-gravity flight, alongside Apollo 16 moonwalker Charles Duke and Apollo engineer Poppy Northcutt.

Awards and recognition

National awards

Devi Award (The New Indian Express, 2024)
Kalvi Tharagai Award (Vikatan, 2022)
Abdul Kalam Award for Science and Technology
Pride of India (CNBC & 1000 Petals Foundation, 2016)
Nari Shakti Award (Seemapuria Times, 2014)
Cavinkare Chinnikrishnan Innovation Award (2013)
Chennai Super Mom (The Hindu, 2009)

International awards

Women Leaders in Electronics Award (UK House of Lords, 2025)
Globant Global Award for Women in Tech – India Region (2023)
Women Icon Award (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 2017)
Legendary Lioness Lifetime Achievement Award (VR Oneness Foundation, 2018)
Global Women in Leadership – Brand India Global Vision

Social and business honors

Best Social Entrepreneur Award (FICCI FLO)
Social Entrepreneur of the Year (Rotary Club Port City, 2015)
Leading Women Entrepreneur (II Global, 2014)
Woman of the Year in Science & Technology (WEDO)

Institutional recognition

Under Dr. Srimathy’s leadership, Space Kidz India has been featured in:

Asia Book of Records
India Book of Records
Official World Record
Assist Book of Records

Other endeavours

Member of the Planning Board, Mother Teresa University, Kodaikanal (appointed by the Governor of Tamil Nadu)
Advisor at AMET University
Author of First Kids on the Moon, India’s first space fiction for children
Presented a paper at the Oxford University on nano-satellites and high-altitude ballooning

Social activism

Dr. Srimathy is a strong advocate for social reform. She has produced short films on breast cancer awareness and female foeticide, organized AIDS awareness campaigns, supported juvenile homes, and led relief drives during the COVID-19 pandemic and Chennai floods.

In arts and culture

Under her leadership, Space Kidz India’s cultural team represented India at the 2012 London Olympics and has organized performances in Canada and the United States.