Jan 17, 2008

** Indian Missile Program - II **

To my posting on DRDO & Indian Missile program, the below is what my friend wrote...

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Private Companies need to step in to take the research & development also. The requirements of the Armed forces shall be given and they will spend their money to find the product which shall be purchased from them after it is put to test by the end users. That's the model being followed in the U.S.

These private companies like Boeing, Dassault are allowed to sell to friendly countries after the NOC from the U.S State Department. That way, they make their money.

But I would not blame the DRDO as the Politicians made a spoilsport of the DRDO by unwanted interventions. I still remember one of the Wings of DRDO which is the CVRDE (Combat Vehicle Research Development Establishment) in Avadi where the First Director was a Alumini of Indian Institute of Science and he would have completed the MBT in time to be inducted in the 90's. Such was his excellence. But the sad part was that Rajiv Gandhi in 1985 brought in somebody above him due which he was disgruntled and resigned to go to the U.S. Other than the MBT, this guy successfully inducted the Bridge Layer Tank and the Mine Sweeping Tank which still are serving in the armed forces. I had seen able scientists working even from their homes on various drawings. Such was the commitment. Bueracracy spoiled everything.

Another classic example is the Spying case truncated against the ISRO Mahendragiri Director and finally it was proven that it was set up. Nobody would give the honest scientist his honour back. No newspaper carried that report. No politician/Bureacra t apologised for this. so what will be the morale. People now fear to do the right thing as they are always in doubt. Everybody wants to finish his service to go happily with his Full Pension in hand.

Given the independence, Any organisation can perform.People have to be trusted. Independence given. Any Big organisation first is given the Target, when it is agreed by the Organisation then What resources are required to achieve it is asked. Given the time & resources, Any organisation can perform. But the Motivating factor should also be there.

Abdul Kalam in one of his Memoirs talks about Dhawan who was the first director of ISRO when all the rockets were falling into the Sea. Dhawan used to motivate his scientists to go look at the problems associated with the failed Launch and he went to face the Press. Nobody ever knew who was Abdul Kalam or other scientists of the failed Launch. After Many failures, when the first successful Launch happened, Dhawan stepped aside and asked his Team of Scientists to go meet the Press to explain the success story. This fact was emotionally said by none other than Abdul Kalam and Dhawan is no more but his Statue has been errected in front of ISRO in Sriharikota. This is a example of True Leadership who motivated his team to
find success inspite of repeated failures. But for Dhawan, ISRO would not have been a success story. We would have been discussing as another White Elephant.

The Talents are there. It has to be properly nurtured.

Sreedhar

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