Former DRDO Chief Controller Prahalada Ramarao delivering the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial Address at Kumaraguru Institutions in Coimbatore on Monday.

| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

:Drive the nation toward ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’ through indigenous innovation and mission-first leadership, former DRDO Chief Controller and former Vice-Chancellor of Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) Prahalada Ramarao urged a gathering of engineering students at Kumaraguru Institutions on Monday.Cultivate technical judgment, embrace failure as a learning tool, and build robust solutions tailored to India’s 1.4 billion citizens, Mr. Prahalada said, delivering the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial Address during the Annual Day of the Kumaraguru Centre for Industrial Research and Innovation (KCIRI).Explaining how the late President’s administrative reforms and commitment to national capability continue to inspire India’s scientific and educational landscape, he said that cutting procedural friction, and strengthening academic-industry synergies are essential pillars to achieve complete national self-sufficiency.Having spearheaded indigenous missile programs including Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Nag, and Trishul at a time when the country relied on imports for basic military requirements, the late President foresaw the power of supersonic cruise technology in the 1990s and persuaded the government to co-fund the BrahMos joint venture with Russia. “Today, with numerous nations eager to acquire the BrahMos missile system, it stands as proof of Dr. Kalam’s core conviction: “Make for India, and the world will follow,” Mr. Prahalada said.The KCIRI honoured key industry partners: Satish, General Manager of Projects at Cisco Energy Private Limited, and Jayaprakash, Managing Director at Vetri Engineers, and signed two Memorandums of Understanding.KCIRI Director C. Vasantharaj exchanged the MoU documents with SAARC Group, an enterprise spanning precision defence manufacturing and AI-enabled software development, and with AvioMinds Global Private Limited to advance applied research in the aerospace sector, specifically targeting micro gas turbine and UAV propulsion technologies. Published - July 27, 2026 08:07 pm IST