Dr Vasant Gowarikar
Space scientist and the "father of the Indian monsoon model", later Vice Chancellor of Pune University.
Quick facts
- Known for:
- Monsoon model, space research
- Pune link:
- Vice Chancellor, Pune University
Life and work
Dr Vasant Ranchhod Gowarikar (1933 to 2015) worked with Dr Vikram Sarabhai in India's space programme and headed the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre from 1979 to 1985, where rocket fuel and launch vehicles were developed.
He then built India's first home-grown model to forecast the monsoon, which gave him the name "father of the Indian monsoon model". He was also scientific adviser to the Prime Minister from 1991 to 1993.
Pune link
He was Vice Chancellor of Pune University and led the Marathi Vidnyan Parishad, which takes science to readers in Marathi. He died in Pune on 2 January 2015.
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Sources: Written by PuneDiary. Facts checked 29 October 2026.