Astrophysicist and writer in Pune on Tuesday, said the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics. He was 86.

He had undergone a hip surgery, The Hindu reported.

Born in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, Narlikar studied science at the Banaras Hindu University before completing his Mathematics Tripos at the University of Cambridge.

He was a professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, where he was in charge of the theoretical astrophysics group.

He is credited for developing the Hoyle-Narlikar theory of gravity along with British astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle.

Narlikar became the founder-director of Pune’s Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in 1988. He remained a director at the IUCAA till his retirement in 2003 and was the emeritus professor at the institute.

Narlikar also wrote science fiction stories and books in English, Marathi and Hindi.

In 2004, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour. He was awarded the Maharashtra Bhushan in 2010 and the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2014.

Narlikar is survived by daughters Geeta, Girija and Leelavati.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Narlikar had “played a very valuable role in spreading science by creating literature in scientific subjects”.

“We have and an equally great writer,” the chief minister said on social media, adding that the last rites will be conducted with...