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Changing What's Visible
The Shakuntala Initiative reflects Pixxel’s commitment to expanding the presence of women across research, presence, and learning.
It is designed as a sustained movement that brings together funding, editorial perspectives, spotlights on women in STEM, and community initiatives that widen women’s participation in the work of science.
Funding for researchers and structured access to STEM education.
Open dialogues with women shaping science and technology.
Pixxel’s philosophy on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Shared experiences connecting women across the ecosystem.
Science moves forward
when more people get to shape it.
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Built Into
How We Work
Nearly 48% of leadership roles at Pixxel are held by people who identify as women.
From satellite engineering and payload design to mission operations and more, women are shaping how Pixxel builds technology and explores new frontiers in Earth observation.
We’ve implemented policies that help women thrive across the organisation, including mental health resources, physical wellness initiatives, childcare and crèche access, IVF support, and more.
The Shakuntala Initiative extends that philosophy beyond our walls.
Some Names Carry History.
Some Mark Beginnings.
Shakuntala is a name that holds both.
Mother
of Bharat
In the ancient epic Mahabharata, Shakuntala was the daughter of sage Vishwamitra and the celestial Menaka — abandoned at birth, named for the birds that sheltered her, raised in a forest hermitage far from any palace.
She did not come from power. But through her courage, her insistence on truth, and her refusal to be unseen, she bore a son: Bharata — the legendary emperor whose reign gave India the name it still carries, Bharatavarsha.
A woman. At the very origin.
The Human Computer
Born in Bangalore in 1929 with no formal schooling and no institutional backing, Shakuntala Devi went on to become one of the most celebrated mathematical minds in human history.
In 1980, she multiplied two 13-digit numbers in 28 seconds at Imperial College London. The Guinness Book of World Records took note. The world called her the Human Computer.
Her legacy is not only about extraordinary mental calculation, but about expanding the imagination of what women can achieve in fields traditionally seen as inaccessible. Women for generations to come would be reminded that intellectual authority and confidence in STEM belong to women as well.performing calculations faster than computers before audiences of academics who had no framework for what they were witnessing.
First Hyperspectral Pathfinder
In 2022, Pixxel launched its first satellite into orbit. They named it Shakuntala. At launch, Shakuntala was the world's highest-resolution hyperspectral satellite. It remained in orbit for 619 days and captured some of the most stunning hyperspectral imagery ever recorded.
That became the foundation of what Pixxel now calls Planetary Intelligence: the ability to observe the Earth across hundreds of spectral bands and see the unseen.
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Foundation is laid.
The light still guides the path forward.
The Shakuntala Initiative aims to carry forward the idea of beginnings, expanding who gets to participate in scientific discovery.
Entering the next chapter
This is only the beginning.
Shakuntala Grants mark the first programme under the Shakuntala Initiative. In the months ahead, the initiative will expand through conversations, editorial perspectives, and community programmes designed to spotlight and connect women shaping science and technology.
Together, these efforts aim to build stronger networks, elevate new voices, and widen participation across the STEM ecosystem.
This is only the beginning.
We're just getting started.
In the months ahead, the initiative will expand through conversations, editorial perspectives, and community programmes designed to spotlight and connect women shaping science and technology.
Together, these efforts aim to build stronger networks, elevate new voices, and widen participation across the STEM ecosystem.
