Draft:Natarajan Manthiram
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Natarajan Manthiram | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 9th Director General of Defence Research and Development Organisation | |
| In office 2004-2009 | |
| Preceded by | V. K. Aatre |
| Succeeded by | V. K. Saraswat |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 September 1946 Tirunelveli, Madras Presidency, British India |
| Citizenship | India |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Former Chairman of IIT Mandi |
| Awards | Padma Shri |
Natarajan Manthiram (born September 6th, 1946), also known as M. Natarajan, is an Indian scientist and former head of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India's premier defence research and development organisation. In that capacity, he also served as the Scientific Advisor to the Minister of Defence (Raksha Mantri). He is a recipient of the Padma Shri award, from the Government of India.[1][2]
Biography
[edit]Manthiram Natarajan was born in 1946 in Tirunelveli. He completed his B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Madras in 1967,[3] and later earned an M.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Engineering Design from IIT Bombay in 1970.[1] In 1975, he obtained an M.Sc. in Military Vehicle Technology from the Royal Military College of Science in the United Kingdom.[1]
Career
[edit]Natarajan joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in 1970 and worked for over three decades on numerous tracked vehicle and combat system programs.[1] He was closely involved in the development of the Arjun Main Battle Tank from its inception, and in 1987, he was appointed as the Programme Director responsible for its overall development.[3][1] He later became the Director of the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) in December 1989.[3]
During his tenure as Chief Controller, R&D (Armaments, Combat Vehicles, and Engineering), he oversaw multiple defence programs, including the successful user trials and acceptance of the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system by the Indian Army.[1]
In March 1999, Natarajan was elevated to the rank of Distinguished Scientist.
In 2004, he replaced V. K. Aatre as the Director General of DRDO and Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister of India.[2]
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As Director General, Natarajan guided a broad portfolio of defence R&D programs. These included the Arjun main battle tank, the Agni intercontinental ballistic missile program, the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system, and mechanical systems development for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. He also supervised progress on the Nishant unmanned aerial vehicle and set strategic roadmaps for future platforms such as trainer and medium combat aircraft, the airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system, and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs).[4][5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Dr. Manthiram Natarajan". IIT Bombay. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Natarajan takes over as new DRDO chief". The Times of India. 31 August 2004. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ a b c "Mr. Padmashri M Natarajan". IIT Madras. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "FRONTLINE interview with DRDO chief Natarajan". Livefist. 13 August 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ Subramanian, T. S. (29 August 2008). "Interview with M. Natarajan". Frontline. The Hindu Group. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
Further reading
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