OUR GOAL IS TO EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN EXPORT PRESENCE, EMBRACING THE 'MAKE-FOR-THE-WORLD' VISION

Under Shri Atul Dinkar Rane’s leadership, BrahMos has become a symbol of India’s defence strength and innovation. Reflecting on his journey, from developing the supersonic missile to receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award, Rane, OS Director General of BrahMos, DRDO, and CEO MD of BrahMos Aerospace shares insights with Nisha Shukla on his contributions, emerging technologies, indigenisation efforts, global collaborations, and the future of missile technology.

- 

What was the pivotal moment that initiated your journey in the defence sector? Reflecting on your time as MD & CEO of BrahMos, how do you view your journey so far?

The pivotal moment that initiated my journey in the defence sector was when I realised at a very young age that my skills and expertise could be used to support and strengthen our nation’s defences, ultimately leading me to pursue opportunities within the defence industry. Witnessing my mentors working with unwavering dedication, discipline, and strategic thinking, left a lasting impression on me. This pivotal moment solidified my decision to devote myself to a career focused on the country’s defence sector.

Since my early years at DRDO, I have worked in various areas of military technology with a mission to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems. As a Programme Manager at BrahMos Aerospace, my work in Avionics & System Integration for Programme PJ-10 involved steering feasibility studies, conceptual design, planning, development, testing, integration, and certification of DRDO onboard systems. This culminated in the successful demonstration, induction, and subsequent productionisation of BRAHMOS, paving the way for strengthening our armed forces with a formidable weapon system.

After joining as DG BrahMos, DRDO, and CEO & MD of BrahMos Aerospace in December 2021, our focus has been in three directions: meeting internal armed forces requirements, harnessing the export potential of BRAHMOS, and making a major push towards indigenisation leading to production. This approach has brought us many successes.

You were recently honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ETNOW Machinist Super Shopfloor Awards. How did it feel to receive this recognition?