Dr M. Raghavendra Rao has been appointed as the Director of the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Hyderabad’s leading defence research institutions, the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), have announced new leadership. Ankathi Raju has been appointed as the Director of DRDL, and Dr. M. Raghavendra Rao has taken charge as the Director of ASL. Both esteemed officers assumed their new roles on Saturday, November 1st, ushering in a new era for advanced defence system development.
Ankathi Raju, a native of Hyderabad, brings a wealth of expertise to his new position. He holds a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Osmania University’s College of Engineering and an M.Tech in Aeronautical Engineering (Propulsion) from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai. Before this appointment, Raju led the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) as Director, where he successfully spearheaded several critical indigenous defence initiatives, including the development of the Enhanced Rocket System, Guided Pinaka, and the state-of-the-art Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS).
Dr. M. Raghavendra Rao, the newly appointed Director of ASL, is a distinguished Mechanical Engineering graduate from NIT Bhopal. He further specialized with a Master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from MIT Chennai and earned his Ph.D. from NIT Warangal. During his prior tenure at DRDL, Dr. Rao was a key contributor to the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), famously launched under Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s leadership. As the Technology Director (Liquid Propulsion), he was instrumental in the design and advancement of propulsion systems for the Agni missile series, Air Defence, Advanced Naval Systems, and pioneering hypersonic propulsion technologies, showcasing his profound impact on India’s defence capabilities.