3 city-based scientists win DRDO awards

The Technology Leadership Award 2017 was conferred to P Sivakumar, Distinguished Scientist and Director of CVRDE, for the significant contributions in the design and development of transmission systems for armoured vehicles. The director had played a key role in the successful design, development, manufacturing, test evaluation, user trials and technology transfer and induction of the Arjun MBT Mk-I in the Indian Army.

Since the DRDO Awards were not held the previous year, the achievers who won last year were presented their laurels along with this year’s winners. YST Raju, Scientist, CVRDE, won the ‘Scientist of the Year’ award in 2016 for the successful development of multi-disciplinary engineering sub-systems of the Integrated Fire Control System for Arjun MBT Mk-II prototype, trials of MBT Mk-I, development of electric turret drive, gun drive hardware for futuristic AFVs and retractable landing gear for Rustom-II UAV.

The ‘Scientist of the Year’ for 2017 was awarded to S Pazhanikumar, who made significant contributions in the design and development of the indigenous Arjun ARRV project, which saved the country a considerable amount of foreign exchange and a step towards self-sufficiency in defence production.