Professor Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), has become the first Indian woman and fourth Indian overall to receive the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal. She was presented the 2026 medal on August 3 at the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy, in recognition of her contributions to space research in developing countries.
The medal is jointly awarded by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) every two years in honour of Vikram Sarabhai, one of the architects of modern India’s space programme.
Subramaniam was recognised for her work on stellar populations, blue straggler stars, the Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) aboard AstroSat, future telescopes and HDSR. Her achievement marks a significant milestone for Indian astronomy and the representation of women in space science.
Prestigious Medal Explained
The COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal is an international award jointly presented by COSPAR and ISRO for outstanding contributions to space research in developing countries.
It honours Vikram Sarabhai, widely regarded as one of the key architects of India’s space programme. According to COSPAR, eligible work is assessed primarily over the five-year period preceding the relevant award cycle, with the medal presented every two years.
Subramaniam’s selection makes her the fourth Indian recipient after former ISRO chairman U.R. Rao, who received it in 1996; space plasma and space weather physicist Gurbax Singh Lakhina, who was honoured in 2014; and Physical Research Laboratory director Anil Bhardwaj, who received the medal in 2024. She is also only the third woman globally to receive the honour.
Congratulations to Prof. Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of IIA, the recipient of the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal for 2026, "in recognition of her outstanding contributions to Space Research in developing countries".@IndiaDST @DrJitendraSingh @fiddlingstars @ISRO @CosparHQ pic.twitter.com/naIdgz6ILB
— IIAstrophysics (@IIABengaluru) August 4, 2026
Annapurni’s Jounrey to Glory
Subramaniam is an astrophysicist with more than three decades of research experience and currently heads the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bengaluru.
Her research focuses on star clusters, stellar populations, blue straggler stars, the Magellanic Clouds, nearby galaxies and ultraviolet astronomy. IIA says she has published around 175 research papers and guided 15 PhD students, besides training many other researchers.
Her career has also connected fundamental astronomy with major space-science projects. She served as the calibration scientist for UVIT aboard AstroSat, carrying out its in-orbit performance verification.
She has contributed to the international Thirty Meter Telescope project, in which India is a partner, and is the Principal Investigator of INSIST, a proposed next-generation UV-Optical space telescope that builds on experience from AstroSat and UVIT.
Career Built Through Stars
Subramaniam’s scientific journey has centred on understanding how stars and galaxies form, evolve and change. Her work on stellar populations has been used to study the structure, evolution and chemical enrichment of the Magellanic Clouds. Her research group has also examined the formation of blue straggler stars in open and globular clusters and studied young stellar objects, binary stars and ultraviolet-bright populations.
Her contribution to AstroSat has been particularly significant for India’s space-based astronomy capabilities. As calibration scientist for UVIT, she helped establish the telescope’s performance after launch. The instrument has enabled Indian researchers to study ultraviolet sources and stellar populations across the universe, strengthening the country’s capabilities in space-based astronomical observations.
Recognition Before Sarabhai
The COSPAR medal is the latest in a series of recognitions for Subramaniam. In 2024, she received the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar – Vigyan Shri in Space Science and Technology. The Government-backed award recognised her distinguished contributions and exceptional research in space science and technology.
Her recent honours also include the Vanitha Ratna Award 2023 from the Kerala Government for education, science and technology, the Devi Award 2024 from The New Indian Express, and the Future Female Award 2024 from CNBC-TV18. IIA’s annual report also noted that she was selected among India’s Top 100 Women Achievers by India Today in 2023. These recognitions reflect both her scientific contributions and her growing visibility as a woman leader in Indian science.
A Milestone Beyond Astronomy
Subramaniam’s historic medal is significant not simply because it adds another award to an accomplished career. It also places an Indian woman at the forefront of an international scientific honour that has previously recognised some of the country’s most prominent space scientists.
Her journey from studying stellar populations to contributing to AstroSat, future space telescopes and international astronomy projects demonstrates how fundamental research can translate into larger scientific capabilities. It also offers greater visibility to women pursuing careers in astronomy, astrophysics and space science.
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