After graduation, he was admitted to the National Defence Academy (NDA). Speaking of his career choices, he would later say that he had wanted to join the Indian Navy but was instead drafted into the Indian Air Force (IAF). During the selections, he was told that his eyesight was not good enough for the Navy, while the Air Force had a shortage of cadets at the time.[3][5]
Malhotra was part of the IAF fighter squadron that was tasked with air raids over Pakistan in 1971, after that country had launched strikes on India prior to the Bangladesh Liberation War. He flew the Sukhoi Su-22 in over 17 sorties into Pakistani air space.[3] In one attack in the Chamb-Jaurian sector in what was then Western Pakistan, his plane was at the receiving end of heavy anti-aircraft gunfire, but he nevertheless returned to his air base in India.[5][6] The war ended with the successful liberation of Bangladesh.[3][5]
Indo-Soviet space program
After the war, Malhotra was selected for the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California and later to the Indo-Soviet space program, a joint program between India and the former USSR. During this time, he took tests at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, in Bangalore and later in Moscow. The final tests resulted in Malhotra, Rakesh Sharma, and two other cadets being selected to train for spaceflight in the Soviet Union's Intercosmos program in 1982.[3]
Soyuz T-11 crew (1984). Malhotra is in the middle of the top row.
Malhotra trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City for over two years.[3] The training and instruction was in Russian since much of the instrumentation and other equipment markings were in Russian. In addition to physical conditioning in preparation for space flight, the cadets also worked on the simulators, as well as flying on the Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft, which simulated near-zero gravity and microgravity conditions for ~50 seconds at a time. Training also included sea recovery and survival, since Soyuz spacecraft capsules landed in the sea. At the end of the training program, Malhotra and Sharma were shortlisted for the Soyuz T-11 mission to launch the first Indian into space in 1984. The two trained on multiple mission objectives, including studying the effects of yoga in space as well as other biomedicine and remote sensing experiments.[5][7][6] The decision to have Sharma go to space and Malhotra remain on the ground was taken by the Ministry of Defence in India halfway through the training program.[5] Speaking later about the decision, Malhotra said, "I was disappointed, but you accept it, and move on with the mission". He remained on good terms with Sharma after the mission.[3]
Upon his return to India, he was posted as the commanding officer of the Hindan Air Force Station near the Indian capital of Delhi. He took an early retirement from the Air Force in 1995.[3]
Malhotra entered the private sector, setting up an aerospace manufacturing firm, Dynamatic Aerospace. The NSE-listed company manufactures precision parts, with clients including Boeing, Airbus, and Bell helicopters. He retired from the company at the age of 75.[3]
Personal life
Malhotra is married to Mira Malhotra, a psychologist.[8][9] The couple have two children.[8] As of 2021 he continues to live in Bangalore in Southern India.[3]
