‘BrahMos Missile is a World-Class Product Using the Synergy of Technological Competence and Consortium of Industries of Both Partner Countries’
Intro: Dr A Sivathanu Pillai, distinguished Scientist and Chief Controller R&D, DRDO and CEO & MD, BrahMos Aerospace
India has gone through a massive societal transformation in the last decade beginning with the globalisation and liberalisation in the early 1990s. In the Global industrial scenario, India is making great strides in sectors like Information Technology, Pharmaceutical, Engineering and Automobile industry. Gone are the days when Indian companies were acquired by Global business giants. In today’s world, Indian companies are going around the world scouting for partners and targets for collaborations. Tata’s acquisition of European Steel giant Corus bears testimony to the fact. Technology has played a key role in effecting this kind of unprecedented national development. R&D also has grown strongly in Pharmaceutical, Defence and Aerospace, and Automobile industry resulting in establishment of robust infrastructure base for these industries that cater both to the booming Indian and global market. The defence industry in the country has also taken rapid strides in realizing many state of the art systems and technologies indigenously. More and more public and private sectors are participating in the defence industries and the country’s defence set up has been augmented to meet the requirements of tomorrow. With its fast economic growth, strong defence capabilities and foreign policy towards other countries, India has reached a stage where it plays a strategic role in many of the International forums.
Greatness of India and Indian Scientists
Ancient scientists of India were far visionary than others, of that time, in all the fields: mathematics, medicine, aviation, astronomy etc., in terms of scientific achievements. Astronomer and a great mathematician, Aryabhatt, a genius in algebra was first to proclaim that the earth is round and rotates on its axis and is acknowledged for calculating Pi to 3.1416 and sine table in trigonometry. Bhaskaracharya was first to discover gravity 500 years before Sir Isaac Newton. Acharya Kanad, the founder of Atomic theory said, ‘Every object of creation is made of atoms which in turn connect with each other to form molecules’. Acharya Susrut, the father of plastic surgery performed Rhinoplasty, that is, Restoration of a damaged nose. Acharya Bharadwaj pioneered aviation technology; and Acharya Kapil gave the concept of transformation of energy. Such was the power of forward thinking of ancient Indians.
India, having a rich civilisational heritage, was also a knowledge house. This was evident from the regimes of Ashoka the Great and Nalanda University. However, with the successive invasions, India’s knowledge and wealth deteriorated and this was further added with rising population. In the 20th century, Industrial Revolution took place in the West. India could not take part in this revolution, as it was under the rule of the British, and could not get the benefit of industrialisation.
Now, during the Information Age, India is regaining its pride. In the Knowledge Age, because of the increased knowledge resources, India’s economic prosperity, and the fact that Indians are occupying higher positions in the world, India will definitely attain the developed status.
|
