The words ‘technologist’ and ‘strategist’ have been used. What exactly does that entail, and how did your learning, education and experiences helped in that respect?
I look at education as a foundation. Many people say “So-and-so university helped me become who I am”. Here ‘help’ is the keyword. Nobody achieves something strictly based on a particular college or professor. It rarely happens. Sometimes a professor makes a big impact, but actually it’s a sum total.
What I studied, for example, in middle school, helped me to succeed in high school, and so on. So it’s a continuous process. I look at education as where you really solidify your fundamentals. Interestingly, some of what I studied here (and for which I got good grades) actually became clear to me only a few years later. On paper all the S’s I received made it look like “this guy is very very smart”, but if you dig deeper, there are a lot of holes. But later, when you take an advanced course or encounter some application, that is when it becomes clearer.
For example, there was Professor Natarajan who used to teach Thermodynamics. Because of some combination of how he taught and the subject matter itself, I used to like the subject. After I graduated, I went and read the same book on Thermodynamics. Those days we didn’t buy textbooks, because they were very expensive. Somehow I found a copy, and realized on reading it, “Hey, I never understood this at that time, but now I am able to make a better connection”. So what you learn in college is a foundation. Stronger the foundation, bigger the building you can build. If the foundation is weak, it is very difficult to add things to it. So the foundation has to be very strong.
When I was going through it, we had a five-year degree program, so we were exposed to a lot of things. We were exposed to more courses and a variety of courses. Not everything became immediately useful, but today I can say I know about a lot of different things. That wouldn’t have been possible if I’d said, “I’m only going to study only these subjects, become an expert in these.” I’d get a certain kind of respect. But my brain is wired such that I like to be exposed to a variety of things. I think IIT helped in that.
You held key leadership positions in major NASA-Industry initiatives (such as the F-16XL-2 Supersonic Laminar Flow Program and the High Speed Research Program), can you tell us about experiences in these positions?
Those were some of the best years of my life, my career, for two reasons. One, the F-16XL program was one where we designed something, manufactured it and flew it. All of it happened over three years, and was funded by NASA.
We worked as a team, and it was a team that included multiple companies. Three major Aerospace companies were involved. I was working for a company called McDonnell Douglas. The others were Boeing and Rockwell. The three have merged since then, so we are all part of Boeing now. Besides these three, there were three NASA centers. From here, NASA looks like one. Actually they have several centers. I had the opportunity to to be the leader there. I belonged to one company, but was working with people from other companies, from NAL, all part of the same team, all working together, creating something never done before in anybody’s life or career. So it was very exciting.
The F-16XL was where we actually built hardware and tested it. The other one was more of a paper study. We never got to the hardware building stage, but it was, again, similar. We had people from a variety of backgrounds, the government (NASA), and the industry working together, so it was very exciting in that respect.
You have been honored with several awards, notably the “Monie Ferst Award” for the Best Ph.D. Thesis by Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, “Team Excellence Award” and “Group Achievement Award” from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration..What do these honours mean to you?
This is recognition that your peers see your work as worth recognizing. What happens in the research field is that as you become more and more specialized, there are fewer people who understand what you do. Even here, out of the lakhs who apply, a few thousand get selected, so you are already a very select group. Then, only a few people go for PhD, where they work in some particular area, which not everyone understands. Maybe they do understand at some level, but not all the details.
So when someone comes and says “Your work has been recognized, you’ve won an award”, it is an affirmation that all these smart people think you’ve done something nice. For example, my own parents and relatives don’t know what I’m doing, and I can’t explain it to them. The same is true for everybody else here. When you do research, there are very few people who understand the real meaning behind it. So when that peer group recognizes you, it is very gratifying.
There is a lot of effort involved in research. 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration. Sometimes even more than 99%! The inspiration part is easy, but how you actually make it happen is not. So it’s recognition that you’re doing something nice, you’re being recognized.
You are an active member of SAEINDIA where you chair the Aerospace Board, a team of eminent aerospace leaders from India who have come together to help develop a community of interest to enhance the aerospace ecosystem in India.What do you think are the opportunities for an aerospace engineer in India?
This particular time is one of the most exciting times to be in the Aerospace Industry in India. There are many opportunities, and they come in at least three different flavors.
One is that there are many companies that provide engineering services. They are designing something for somebody else. They are developing software, manufacturing, tooling design, things like that. So there are opportunities for somebody to work in one of these companies. Through that, they are impacting some airplane made by Boeing, Airbus, or some Swiss or German company.
The second avenue is directly working with certain MNCs. GEE has a very big presence in India, along with other companies, like Airbus, Boeing, Eaton, Rolls-Royce, etc. These are all Aerospace companies, in one way or the other.
The third is the most important: the goals of the Indian Government. They have goals to create a variety of platforms. There is the long-standing LCA program, which is apparently going into production very soon, there is the naval variant of the LCA program. They are talking about a fifth generation fighter which is a joint program with Russia. There is talk of civil and military transport aircraft that is going to be designed and built in India. So there are a variety of programs which the Indian Government wants to invest in and develop. This is an excellent opportunity for people who have shown skills, and this is the best combination one can ask for.
What about differences in work ethic and culture between India and the US?
I don’t think I can make a blanket statement. My general observation is that the American system is much more schedule- and deliverables-oriented. When someone says they can deliver something, you can put a lot more faith in that statement. In India there is a lot more fuss. If something is going to happen “tomorrow” it could mean tomorrow, or next week, or fifteen days later.
At the same time there are some very very good people in India who have understood what is expected from the industry, and they figure out how to make that happen. I think Indians are fully capable of making that happen.
There are many Indians who live in US, Canada or Australia and they’re doing very well. So it’s not the fundamental trait of an Indian. The system says it is okay, “chalta hai”. This “chalta hai” attitude has to change. It is not acceptable, especially in the Aerospace industry.
This industry is very picky about quality and requirements, as it is a safety-oriented industry. If you take chances, something drastic will happen and nobody wants such things to happen.
I don’t think the fundamental question is whether or not we can change. You have to understand who you are working with, what it is that those people want, whether it is a US company or DRDO. You have to meet whatever requirements your customer is looking for and then your problem is solved. If your customer says your deliverable day is September 1 plus or minus 30 days, then you have 30 days. That doesn’t mean November 1. It means September 30th or August 2nd, within that range, so you better be prepared for it.
Finally, if there is something you’d like to say to the students of IIT Madras, what would it be?
I have a lot to say, as is evident! I can tell you that you guys are in an exciting time. It’s probably something you’ve heard before, but there are plenty of opportunities, and what you make out of them is in your hands, and nobody else’s.
