Meet Annapurni Subramaniam, the Indian astrophysicist who became the first Indian woman to win the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal
India’s space science community is celebrating a big event as Professor Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, has been awarded the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal for 2026. It is among the most prestigious international honours recognising outstanding contributions to space research in developing countries. Also, she became the first Indian woman to win this award during the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy, in August 2026.A significant honourIt’s a particularly significant honour for India because Subramaniam is the first Indian woman to receive the medal and only the fourth Indian overall. Before her, the Indian recipients were
- U.R. Rao in 1996: Former ISRO chairman
- Gurbax Singh Lakhina in 2014: Space physicist
- Anil Bhardwaj in 2024: Physical Research Laboratory director
About COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai MedalThe COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal was established in 1958 to promote international scientific cooperation in space research. It is jointly awarded by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in honour of Vikram Sarabhai. He was one of the architects of India’s space programme. The award recognises outstanding contributions to space research in developing countries and is awarded every two years. Candidates can be from any nation with the relevant work assessed mainly over the five-year period preceding the award cycle.Who is Annapurni SubramaniamSubramaniam’s scientific career spans more than three decades. According to IIA, she has published around 175 research papers, guided 15 PhD students and worked across areas including star clusters, stellar populations, galaxies and ultraviolet astronomy along with the Magellanic Clouds.
Annapurni Subramaniam with Indian President Droupadi Murmu (PC: X)
She also became the first woman to head the Indian Institute of Astrophysics as its Director in 2019. One of her most important contributions has been her work with AstroSat, India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory. Subramaniam served as the calibration scientist for AstroSat’s Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT). She led its in-orbit calibration and performance verification.The telescope has enabled astronomers to study celestial objects in ultraviolet wavelengths that are difficult or impossible to observe from the ground because of the Earth’s atmosphere.Building future telescopesSubramaniam is the Principal Investigator of INSIST, a proposed next-generation ultraviolet-optical space telescope that builds on experience gained from AstroSat and UVIT. She has also contributed to India’s participation in the international Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project.The winner of Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar
Receiving the award (Indian Institute of Astrophysics, FB)
In addition to this, in 2024, the Government of India honoured her with the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar – Vigyan Shri in Space Science and Technology. The official citation highlighted her pioneering work on single and binary stars, blue stragglers, star clusters, star formation, galactic structure and the Magellanic Clouds, as well as her contribution to the UV imaging telescope and AstroSat mission.With Annapurni Subramaniam becoming the fourth Indian and first Indian woman recipient, the 2026 medal marks both a personal scientific achievement and a milestone for Indian space astronomy.
