Wikipedia

A. Sivathanu Pillai

A Sivathanu Pillai is an Indian scientist who formerly served as Honorary Distinguished Professor[2] at Indian Space Research Organisation (2015–2018)[2][3] and an honorary professor at IIT Delhi in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (2015–2016)[4] and a visiting professor at Indian Institute of Science (2014–2015).

A Sivathanu Pillai
Born (1947-07-15) 15 July 1947 (age 77)
Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India
Alma materThiagarajar College of Engineering (B.E.)
University of Pune (PhD)
Occupation(s)Nuclear physicist
Rocket scientist
Administrator
Known forKnown as Father of Brahmos Aerospace[1]
SpouseSeetha Sivathanu Pillai
Children1
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsNuclear physics
Aerospace engineering
Electrical engineering
InstitutionsDefence Research and Development Organisation

He is the President of Project Management Associates[5] and is the former chairperson of the board of governors of the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra.[6]

He formerly served as Chief Controller of Research and Development from year 1996 to 2014 and held the rank of "Distinguished Scientist" from year 1999 to 2014 at the Defence Research and Development Organisation at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of India.[7] He is also the founder-CEO and managing director of the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.[8]

He also previously served as Vice President of International Project Management Association[9] and as Special Secretary representing India in the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation.

Early life and education

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Apathukatha Sivathanu Pillai was born in Nagercoil in Kanyakumari District, Tamilnadu on 15 July 1947. He completed his schooling at D.V.D. Higher Secondary School, Nagercoil,. He earned his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Thiagarajar College of Engineering[10] in 1969.[10]

In 1991, he attended the six-week Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He then earned PhD in Technology Management from Savitribai Phule Pune University in 1996.[11] Pillai is a close and personal friend[12] of Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam

Career

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Sivathanu Pillai introducing a model missile to 13th Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh at BrahMos Complex in New Delhi.
 
13th President of India Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Bhushan Sivathanu Pillai at an Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi.

Academia

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Pillai currently serves as honorary distinguished professor[2] at Indian Space Research Organisation and an honorary professor at IIT Delhi in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and a visiting professor at Indian Institute of Science.[3][4]

He also formerly served as the chairperson of the board of governors of the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra.[6]

ISRO and DRDO

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Pillai joined the Defence Research and Development Service and has four decades of experience in ISRO and DRDO and has worked with Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan and APJ Abdul Kalam.[13]

He joined DRDO in 1986 and was the Programme Director of IGMDP under the leadership of A. P. J. Kalam. He contributed to the successful development of SLV III as a core team member and to the evolution of PSLV configuration for ISRO.[14]

Brahmos Aerospace

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In August 2007 he was given a third extension of his retirement date by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.[15][16][17]

Pillai is regarded as the Father of BRAHMOS,[18] the joint venture between India and Russia to design, develop, produce and market the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos and he is the chief executive and managing director of BrahMos Aerospace. In 2007, under his leadership as CEO of Brahmos Aerospace, the company bought Kerala Hitech Industries Limited. It has been then converted into Brahmos Aerospace Trivandrum Limited, the second missile making unit of BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited for a world-class missile facility with system integration and testing.[19][20]

Awards and honours

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Year of Award or Honor Name of Award or Honor[21][22] Awarding Organization
2014 Lifetime Achievement Award[23] Rotary International.
2014 Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award[24][25] Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management.
2014 Order of Friendship[26] President of Russia.
2013 Padma Bhushan[27] President of India.
2009 DRDO Technology Leadership Award Prime Minister of India.
2009 Level A certification of Project Directorship International Project Management Association (IPMA), Switzerland.
2008 Honorary Doctorate Thapar University, India.
2007 Honorary Doctorate Avinashilingam University, India.
2006 Honorary Doctorate Bharathiar University, India.
2006 Honorary Doctorate State Marine Technical University of St. Petersburg, Russia.
2006 Honorary Doctorate Andhra University, India.
2006 Raja Rammohan Puraskar Award Ministry of Defence.
2005 DRDO Performance Excellence Award Ministry of Defence.
2005 Honorary Doctorate Sathyabama University, India.
2005 Honorary Doctorate Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, India.
2003 The Order of the Peter the Great and the Academician of the university The Moscow University of Security, Defence and Law Enforcement, Russia.
2003 Award for dedicated service, co-operation, development and peace OISCA International, Japan.
2002 Padma Shri[28] President of India.
2001 Dr. Davidson Frame Award University of Technology & Management, USA.
1988 DRDO Scientist of the year Ministry of Defence.

Books, research papers and journals

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Sivathanu Pillai is a published author and coauthor of several books, research papers and journals.

  • The Path Unexplored. Pentagon Press. 2014. ISBN 9788182747906.
  • Thoughts For Change — We Can Do It. Pentagon Press. 2012. ISBN 9788182747074.
  • Envisioning an empowered nation: technology for societal transformation. Tata McGraw-Hill Pub. Co. 2004. ISBN 978-0-07-053154-3.
  • Sivathanu Pillai, A. (2005). Technology Leadership – A Revolution in the Making: defining the future visionary leaders. Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. ISBN 9780070583283.
  • Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Engineering. World Scientific. 2010. ISBN 978-981-4277-92-1.
  • Ocean Warfare: The Technology Waves. Manas Publications. 2006. ISBN 978-81-7049-239-9.
  • Sivathanu Pillai, A. (2011). Revolution in Leadership – Building Technology Competence. Pentagon Press. ISBN 9788182745520.
  • Nanotechnology Engineering in Nano- and Bio-Medicine: Devices and Applications. ISBN 9780470758632.

References

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  1. ^ "NITT's four-day fest gets underway". 24 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "For Trip To Mars, NASA Wants To Ride With ISRO". 28 February 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Time for India to join global space rule framing to avoid NPT like mistake, say experts". 28 February 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai, IIT Delhi". Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  5. ^ "National Managing Committee (2015–2018) of the PMA India". Project Management Associates. 21 April 2015. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai, Chairperson Board of Governors". National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra. 17 September 2013. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  7. ^ "Profile, DRDO India: Sivathanu Pillai". DRDO, Ministry of Defence of Government of India. 4 June 2011. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  8. ^ "Profile, Brahmos India: Sivathanu Pillai". BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. 4 June 2011. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  9. ^ "The Executive Board members of the International Project Management Association — Remits for year 2011 and 2012" (PDF). International Project Management Association. 31 July 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  10. ^ a b "Archive: APJ Abdul Kalam tried to merge ISRO and DRDO - Sivathanu Pillai". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  11. ^ "Sivathanu Pillai conferred Padma Shri". DRDO, Ministry of Defence of Government of India. May 2002. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  12. ^ "President Kalam gets museum in his honour". 7 July 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2012.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "India's space programme needs a visionary: Sivathanu Pillai". Malayala Manorama. India. 31 January 2016. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  14. ^ "Archive: Decoding the Missile Man by Sivathanu Pillai". The Week. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  15. ^ "DRDO disowns chief controller, says he is retired". The Sunday Guardian. 17 November 2012. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  16. ^ "A Sivathanu Pillai: Extension as DRDO chief tenure extended". The Indian Express. 31 July 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  17. ^ "Fight to retain India's leading missile scientist". Daily News and Analysis. India. 31 July 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  18. ^ "PROFILE — BrahMos aerospace his baby". The Tribune. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  19. ^ "Missile man of India Sivathanu Pillai describes BrahMos plans". The Hindu. 31 December 2007. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  20. ^ "BrahMos takes over KELTEC". The Hindu. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  21. ^ "Official CV and full Profile: Sivathanu Pillai" (PDF). Brahmos Aerospace, India. 4 June 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  22. ^ "Sivathanu Pillai receives the Technology Leadership Award for year 2009 on May 26, 2010 from Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for his outstanding leadership in design, development, production and marketing of the BrahMos missile" (PDF). DRDO, Ministry of Defence of Government of India. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  23. ^ "After Missions to Moon and Mars, World Vies to Mine Heavenly Bodies". The New Indian Express. 15 October 2014. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  24. ^ "AS Pillai, father of BrahMos, gets Lal Bahadur Shastri Award". Business Line. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  25. ^ "President of India presented the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award 2014". 7 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  26. ^ "Russia honours BrahMos chief with 'Order of Friendship' award". Business Standard. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  27. ^ "BrahMos chief A Sivathanu Pillai to be conferred Padma Bhushan". The Economic Times. 19 April 2013. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  28. ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.

Further reading

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Others

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Business positions
New title CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace
1995–2014 		Succeeded by
Sudhir Mishra
Educational offices
Preceded by
 Chairperson of the Board of Governors at National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra Succeeded by
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