Annapurni Subramaniam Age, Husband, Children, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Full Name	Dr. Annapurni Subramaniam
Other Name	Prof. Annapurni Subramaniam
Nickname	Radhika
Profession	Astronomer
Known For	Being the first Indian woman to receive the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) Vikram Sarabhai Medal (August 2026)
Physical Stats
Eye Colour	Light Brown
Hair Colour	Salt and Pepper
Career
Awards, Honours, Achievements	• C.V. Raman Young scientist award for physical sciences, from the Karnataka Government (2018) • NASI-BUTI foundation lecture award (2021) • Vanitha Ratna Award from the Government of Kerala in the field of education, science and technology (2023) • Devi Award by The New Indian Express (TNIE) (January 2024) • Future Forward Female Award from CNBC-News18 (February 2024) • NDTV Science Icon of the Year 2024 (December 2024) • Vigyan Shri Award under Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar scheme (2024) • Asian Scientist Top 100 Award (2025) • COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai medal (2026)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	Year, 1968
Age (as of 2025)	Years
Birthplace	Palakkad, Kerala, India
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Palakkad, Kerala
School	Government Moyan Model Girls Higher Secondary School, Palakkad
College/University	• Government Victoria College, Palakkad • Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru
Educational Qualification(s)	• A Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Physics from Government Victoria College • A Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Physics from Government Victoria College • A Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) on the topic "Studies of star clusters and stellar evolution" (1996) from Indian Institute of Astrophysics
Religion	Hinduism
Hobbies	Playing Violin, Singing
Social Media	• Instagram • Facebook
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Family
Husband/Spouse	Ramesh Subramaniam (Pulmonologist)
Children	Son- Karthik Subramaniam Daughter- Lakshmi Ramesh
Parents	Father- Palakkad K.S. Narayanaswamy Mother

Some Lesser Known Facts About Annapurni Subramaniam

• Annapurni Subramaniam was born and raised in Palakkad. Kerala.

• She grew up in a family connected with Carnatic music, and her father, Palakkad K.S. Narayanaswamy was the well-known Carnatic musician and veena player.

• During her childhood, while studying in Palakkad she became interested in astronomy.

• While studying at the Government Victoria College in Palakkad, one of her Physics professors encouraged her to think beyond simple learning facts, which strengthened her interest in Physics.

• In an interview, Annapurni revealed that after completing her master’s degree in Physics, she wanted to pursue research in something connected with the sky, so she chose an astronomy program associated with the Indian Institute of Science, Indian Isntitute of Astrophysics, ISRO and Raman Research Institute.

• In 1990, Annapurni joined the Indian Institute of Astrophysics as a Research Fellow and began a research career that would eventually span more than three decades.

• From 1990 to 1996, during her doctoral research, she researched on star clusters and stellar evolution.

• In 1996, Annapurni Subramaniam completed her Ph.D. in Physics-Astronomy from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.

• From 1998 to 2000, she worked as a Postdoctoral fellow at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.

• In 2013, she was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Science, India. In the same year, the National Academy of Science fellows directory recorded her research areas as astronomy, astrophysics, star clusters, stellar populations and ultraviolet astronomy.

• In 2014, she became a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Science, recognised for contribution to astronomy and astrophysics.

• In 2015, Subramaniam served as a calibration scientist in launching, AstroSat, India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory. She played an important role in its Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT).

• In 2018, Annapurni Subramaniam received the C.V. Raman Younge Scientist Award for Physical Sciences from the Governmnt of Karnataka.

• In 2019, she became the first woman to head the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, and became its director.

• From 2019 to 2024, she served as the Chief Editor of the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy.

• In 2021, Subramaniam received the NASI-BUTI Foundation Lecture Award and also awarded a SERB-POWER Fellowship.

• In 2022, she became closely associated with the proposed Indian Spectroscopic and Imaging Space Telescope (INSIST), a next generation ultraviolet-optical space telescope.

• In 2023, she received the Vanitha Ratna Award from the Government of Kerala for contribution to education, science and technology. She was also included among India’s Top 100 Women Achievers by India Today.

• In the same year, she and team were involved in India’s astronomy outreach and astrotourism efforts at Ladakh.

• In 2023, during the India’s G-20 presidency, she was the part of an international discussions on astronomy and Astro informatics.

• In 2024, Annapurni Subramaniam received the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar in the field of Space Science and Technology. She was among the 13 scientists selected for the Vigyan Shri category in the first Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar awards.
  

  Annapurni Subramaniam, while receiving her Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar from the President Droupadi Murmu

• In the same year, she also received the Devi Award, the Future Forward Female Award from CNBC-News 18 and NDTV’s Science Icon of the Year award.

• As of 2026, in her more than three decades of journey as Director and Senior Professor at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, she has published more than 175 research papers, had guided more than 15 Ph.D. students, and serving as the Principal Investigator of the proposed INSIST ultraviolet-optical space telescope.

• In 2026, Annapurni Subramaniam received the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal at the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy, for her contribution to space research in developing countries.
  

  Annapurni Subramaniam, while receiving her COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai medal (2026)

• She became the first Indian women scientists to receive the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal and the fourth Indian overall.

• She is also reported to be only the third woman scientist in the world to receive the medal.

• Apart from her scientific career, Annapurni Subramaniam loves to play violin and she is a trained violinist.
  

  Annapurni Subramaniam, while playing violin