NIT gets a new director

Srinivasan Sundarrajan, a leading missile scientist with Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad, will assume charge as Director of National Institute of Technology – Tiruchi (NIT-T) on July 1.

Dr.Sundarrajan's contribution for development and production of prestigious missile systems: Prithvi, Agni, Akash and Brahmos, spans over three decades. He is currently leading BRAHMOS programme team and just completed a massive indigenisation project that has enabled cost reduction and schedule compression. He has also designed and developed over 1,000 products and processes for aerospace systems, and has an impressive background in academic inter-disciplinary research, institute-industry interaction, and technology development and transfer.

As Project Director and Chief Executive of Productionisation, Dr.Sundarrajan networked over 400 industries and 40 academic institutions for R&D leading to quality products and positioned them in National Supply Chain Grid. An INAE (Indian National Academy of Engineering) – AICTE Distinguished Professor, Dr.Sundarrajan has made significant contribution for curriculum development integrating emerging areas of technology. He saw through the formation of foundry clusters and modernised industries in SME sector into quality export-oriented units in Andhra Pradesh.

More than 30 of his research projects are being executed by academic institutions and industry. His project on Energy Audit and Conservation through shop-floor oriented R&D has been appreciated by international agencies working on Energy. Dr.Sundarrajan completed Mechanical Engineering from Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, and did his post graduation and doctorate degrees at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, in Industrial Metallurgy. He also has a PG certificate from Indian Statistical Institute, and had his initial training at Ashok Leyland.

At DRDO, he was groomed and mentored by the former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for more than two decades. As member of TIFAC (Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council) national team, he was instrumental in making 2020 vision documents in the area of materials.

He serves as member of various boards/ committees of ISRO, DAE and CSIR, and has edited two engineering hand books and published more than eighty technical papers. Seven researchers have completed doctorates under his guidance. The recognitions he won includes UNESCO Fellowship (1988), Best Metallurgist of the Year Award from the Govt. of India (1992), Vishwa Bharathi Award for Professional Excellence (1999), Performing Team Award (2004), and Best JV Management Award (2008).