Who is the 'father of BrahMos'? Meet Sivathanu Pillai, a 'pillar' behind lethal missile of India's Operation Sindoor

Operation Sindoor - Who is DrSivathanu Pillai, called the 'father of BrahMos Aerospace'? The Brahmos missile played a key role in India's Operation Sindoor to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack, and the subsequent response to Pakistani military actions. Confirming this, the chief minister of the northern Uttar Pradesh state,Yogi Adityanath, said on Sunday (May 11): "You must have seen a glimpse of the BrahMos missile during Operation Sindoor. If you didn't, then just ask the people of Pakistan about the power of the BrahMos missile."

But do you know who is considered the 'father of BrahMos', the scientist-manager behind this lethal weapon? Here is what you should know about Brahmos, and Dr Sivathanu Pillai, the man who was the founding chief of BrahMos Aerospace company, which develops and makes the missile:

Dr A Sivathanu Pillai , one of the 'pillars of BrahMos'

Dr Apathukatha Sivathanu Pillai is the founder-CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya.

The scientist from the southern Tamil Nadu state was the chief controller, Research and Development, of DRDO.

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While working with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO),Pillai contributed to India's major space research programmes along with legends like Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan and A P J Abdul Kalam. At ISRO, Pillai was the core team member of India's space launch vehicle project, the SLV III.

An electrical engineer from Madras University, Pillai studied management at the Harvard Business School.

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He joined DRDO in 1986 and was the Programme Director of Integrated Guided Missiles Development Programme (IGMDP)under Kalam, who went on to become India's president.

Dr Pillai's contribution to BrahMos development

According to the Brahmos website, Pillai 'evolved the unique concept of the joint venture BrahMos, which is a world leader in the family of cruise missiles.'

He was described as the 'prime force' behind the joint venture from the Indian side in the initial days.

Pillai is a recipient of India's top civilian honours, the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

What is the meaning of BrahMos?

The name 'BrahMos' is a portmanteau, combining the names of India's Brahmaputra river and Russia's Moskva river.

The name is reflective of the initial joint venture between India and Russia for the development of Brahmos.Currently, however, nearly 83 per cent of the Brahmos missile’s components are sourced from India.

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What is special about the Brahmos missile?

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is a two-stage weapon which launches with a solid-fuel booster that detaches after take-off.

The BrahMos missile is among the most crucial conventional missiles in India's possession. Having a range of nearly 4500 kilometres, Brahmos can carry warheads of 200 to 300 kilograms. Extended range of variants up to 800 km have been reportedly tested.

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The Brahmos missile can fly at a speed of 2.8 Mach, thrice the speed of sound.

Working on the “fire and forget” principle, Brahmos hasan advanced guidance systemand employsstealth technology that enables it to evade interceptors and trackers.

Compared to existing subsonic cruise missiles, BrahMos has 2.5 to three times more flight range, up to four times more seeker range, and nine times more kinetic energy.

Brahmos can be launched from air, land, sea, and submarines.