Pawan Goenka
The engineer behind the Mahindra Scorpio who led Mahindra & Mahindra and now chairs space regulator IN-SPACe, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
Pawan Goenka left a career at General Motors in the US to help build India’s automobile industry, and now helps open India’s space sector to private companies. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of trade and industry, from West Bengal [1].
From Detroit to Mumbai
Goenka was born on 23 September 1954 in Harpalpur, Madhya Pradesh, and went to school in Kolkata [2]. He studied mechanical engineering at IIT Kanpur and earned a PhD from Cornell University [2]. He worked at General Motors’ research centre in Detroit from 1979 to 1993 [2].
The “Scorpio man”
In 1993 he returned to India and joined Mahindra & Mahindra, where he modernised its research and development [2]. He led the development of the Scorpio SUV, which earned him the nickname “Scorpio Man” [2]. He helped build India’s network of auto-parts suppliers and rose to become M&M’s managing director and CEO [2].
Into space
As chairperson of IN-SPACe, the body that authorises and promotes private activity in space, he has helped shape policies that bring start-ups and industry together with ISRO [2]. He also chairs the board of governors of IIT Madras [2]. He was the first Indian to receive the FISITA medal [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2025: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2025: citation for Pawan Goenka — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
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