'India, a global player in space technology'

The Hindu (April 04, 2009)                                                                           Print This News

TIRUCHI: Achieving self-reliance in science and technology was the key for the country to emerge as a developed nation, observed A. Sivathanu Pillai, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, BrahMos Aerospace.

Emphasising the need for reversing brain drain and the resource drain through import of technology, Dr. Pillai pointed out that the country in the past had to face technology denials and was being dumped with low technology. But the country was making rapid progress in various fields and has emerged a global player in space and missile technology.

The world has come a long way from human centric to platform centric warfare. Future wars would be network centric.

The development of the supersonic missile was a huge step forward as they were vital as first strike weapons, he said at an interactive meeting on ‘Commemorative Stamps on BrahMos Missile,’ hosted by the Tiruchi Philatelists Association here on Saturday.

Dr. Pillai dwelt at length on the history of the development of weapons system, especially rocket technology, in India.

He expressed gratitude to the Department of Posts for recognising the DRDO’s efforts by bringing out stamps on the BrahMos missile. “Stamps were historical records and we are much obliged to the Department,” he said.

S.P.Rajalingam, Post Master General, Central Region, Tamil Nadu, said the Department of Posts was putting in a lot of efforts towards compiling the country’s achievements in various fields by bringing out stamps, special covers and cancellations.

P.Soundararajan, president, Tiruchi Philatelists Association, said the association would organise about 40 workshops in schools and colleges this year towards motivating youth to take to philately as a hobby.

M.V. Maruthachalam, patron, of the association, and others spoke.

Later, delivering the Sri Vedanta Ramanuja Maha Desikan memorial lecture on ‘Trends in science and technology,’ at the Srimad Andavan Arts and Science College, Dr.Pillai said: “Research and development was the key for creating a strong indigenous technology base.”

In a presentation, he traced the contribution and work of ancient Indian scientists and said the knowledge base was destroyed by the invasions. India also missed out on the industrial revolution, but it was now on the rise again in the knowledge era.

He gave an overview of the latest advances in the filed of space and missile technology.

V.S.Narasimhan, college secretary, K.Prema, principal, P.Brindha, dean, Life Sciences, spoke.

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