V. K. Aatre

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1939}}

| birth_place = Bangalore, British India

| citizenship = India

| field = Electrical engineering

| alma_mater = UVCE

University of Waterloo, Canada
Indian Institute of Science

| work_institution = Indian Institute of Science
Defence Research and Development Organisation
Naval Physical & Oceanographic Lab

| doctoral_advisor =

| known_for =

| prizes = Padma Bhushan
Padma Vibhushan

| footnotes =

}}

Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre (born 1939) is an Indian scientist and former head of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO),{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/former-drdo-chief-vk-aatre-to-submit-report-on-strategic-partnership-this-week/articleshow/50521993.cms?from=mdr|title=Former DRDO chief VK Aatre to submit report on strategic partnership this week|date=2018-07-11|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2020-03-23}} India's premier defence research and development organization. In that capacity, he also served as the Scientific Advisor to the Minister of Defence (Raksha Mantri). He is a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan award.{{Cite web|url=http://expert.inae.in/index.php/vasudev-kalkunte-aatre|title=Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre|website=expert.inae.in|access-date=2020-01-10}}

Biography

Aatre was born in 1939 in Bangalore. He completed his BE in electrical engineering from University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), Bangalore, then part of University of Mysore in 1961 and a master's degree from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, in 1963.{{Cite web |url=http://www.drdo.org/pub/nl/Feb2000/appointednlfeb.htm |title=www.drdo.org |access-date=5 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041227102836/http://www.drdo.org/pub/nl/Feb2000/appointednlfeb.htm |archive-date=27 December 2004 |url-status=usurped |df=dmy-all }} He was awarded a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Waterloo, Canada, in 1967. Thereafter, he worked as a professor of electrical engineering at the Technical University of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada, until 1980. He was a visiting professor at IISc till 1977. He is a former member of the Defence Research & Development Service (DRDS).{{Cite web |title=Dr VK Aatre {{!}} Defence Research and Development Organisation - DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Government of India |url=https://www.drdo.gov.in/dr-vk-aatre |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=www.drdo.gov.in}}{{Cite news |date=2015-02-05 |title=Ex-chief of DRDO V.K. Aatre honoured |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/exchief-of-drdo-vk-aatre-honoured/article6863356.ece |access-date=2022-11-30 |issn=0971-751X}}

In 1980, Aatre joined DRDO at the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Cochin, and became its director in 1984. He was later appointed as chief controller (R&D) of DRDO.{{Cite web |title=Celebrating the Living Legends of Indian Science: Padma Vibhushan Awardees {{!}} India Science, Technology & Innovation - ISTI Portal |url=https://www.indiascienceandtechnology.gov.in/listingpage/celebrating-living-legends-indian-science-padma-vibhushan-awardees |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=www.indiascienceandtechnology.gov.in}} In February 2000, he replaced Abdul Kalam as the director general of DRDO and SA to RM, serving as scientific advisor to the then Defence Minister, George Fernandes. He retired in October 2004 and was replaced by Dr. M. Natrajan.{{Cite book|title=Soaring High; A Biography of Dr. Vasudev K. Aatre|last=Divyananda|first=K|last2=Selvamurthy|first2=W|publisher=I.K. International Publishing House (February 16, 2005)|year=2005|isbn=8188237248}}{{Cite web |title=Dr. Vasudev K. Aatre {{!}} IIEST |url=https://www.iiests.ac.in/IIEST/Chairpeople |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=www.iiests.ac.in}}

File:The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Vibhushan Award to Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 12, 2016.jpg

Aatre was awarded the Padma Bhushan award in 2000 by the then President K. R. Narayanan.

He was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan award, India's second highest civilian award in 2016. He is now chairman of NIT Goa and IIEST SHIBPUR, Howrah.{{Cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Scientist-VK-Aatre-gets-Padma-Vibhushan/articleshow/50718667.cms|title=turban: Scientist VK Aatre gets Padma Vibhushan {{!}} Bengaluru News |date=25 January 2016 |first=Chethan |last=Kumar |agency=TNN |website=The Times of India|language=en|access-date=2020-01-10}}

In 2015, Karnataka Science and Technology awarded him with the academy's Lifetime Achievement Award for 2014.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/exchief-of-drdo-vk-aatre-honoured/article6863356.ece|title=Ex-chief of DRDO V.K. Aatre honoured|date=2015-02-06|work=The Hindu|access-date=2020-03-23|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}

V. K. Aatre

Biography

See also

References

Further reading