Shri Umamaheswaran R, Distinguished Scientist and Scientific Secretary, ISRO, has made significant contribution to the system integration, checkout and avionics of ISRO’s launch vehicles viz PSLV, GSLV & GSLV-Mk III. He has been the Chief Designer (Integration) of major subassemblies including Equipment Bay of the Launch vehicle. Many of the mission critical circuits residing in the vehicle including the entire pyro chain for all the three launch vehicles has been designed by him. He completed B Tech in Electronics & Communication Engineering from College of Engineering, Trivandrum in 1985, MS in Software System from BITS, Pilani in 2007 and MA in Russian Language from Kerala University in 1996.  He joined VSSC in 1987.

Over the years, he has evolved as a domain expert in the field of system electrical integration, checkout, ground station and avionics. He was also the Vehicle Director for the remarkably successful GSLV D5/GSAT-14 Mission with the indigenous cryo stage.

He took over the assignment of Project Director, GSLV with effect from July 1, 2014. As Mission Director of the GSLV-D6, GSLV F05 & GSLV F09 Missions, he led the entire ISRO Team and successfully accomplished the missions. This has been the first hatric success of GSLV missions under a single project team.  He also led the Operational Launch Vehicle Team of Avionics Production, Hardware Production, Structural analysis and Control guidance to enable & successfully deliver the products for the increased frequency of PSLV, GSLV and GSLV Mk III missions.

Subsequently he was assigned with the charge of Deputy Director, Avionics with effect from 29th May, 2017.  As DD, AVN, he led a team of young enterprising Engineers, for the development of miniaturized avionics, performing the crucial role in making key decisions to overcome the various technical intricacies and mitigate developmental constraints in the realization of these systems.  He also spearheaded the induction of Electro Mechanical Actuation Systems in L40, GS2 & S200 EGC systems for the coming missions. From May 4th 2018 onwards, he has taken charge as Associate Scientific Secretary, ISRO HQ and as Scientific Secretary, ISRO from August 1st onwards.

He has been awarded ISRO Individual Merit Award-2013, ISRO Team Awards-2006 for PSLV and in 2014 for GSLV and ISRO Outstanding Achievement Award for 2018. He also received the ASI-ISRO award for the year 2016.  He is the life member of Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI), Systems Society of India (SSI), and Indian Society for Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (ISAMPE). He is also the recipient of Honoris Causa from the Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai (2019).  He is the National Vice President for Indian Society of Systems, Science and Engineering (ISSE) and the President of ISSE Bangalore Chapter.  He became a corresponding member of International Academy of Astronautics in 2019.