Prasanth Nair

Group Captain Prasanth Nair is a qualified flight instructor and a test pilot in the Indian Air Force. Nair is one of the four designated astronauts trained by ISRO to fly aboard the Gaganyaan crewed flight.

Early life
Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair was born in Nemmara, Palakkad, Kerala on 26 August 1976 to Vilambil Balakrishnan Nair, a retired engineer. Nair spent a portion of his childhood in Kuwait but had to return to India after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. After his return, Nair attended the Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Pallavur and ranked as one of the toppers in the SSLC examinations in the year 1992 and again in 1994. After completing school, Nair attended the NSS College of Engineering for 7 months before appearing in the NDA Exam.

IAF career
Nair was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in December 1998. He specialized in flying the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI but also had experience flying the MiG-21 and the An-32. He attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and the Flying Instructors School, Tambaram to become a Category A Flight Instructor in the Indian Air force.

Gaganyaan mission
On 27 February 2024, Nair was named as the commander of the 4 member crew designated for the Gaganyaan mission developed by ISRO.