A Sivathanu Pillai, honorary president of Project Management Associates, talks about his journey of producing BrahMos and requirements of Indian forces
Could you highlight the uniqueness of BrahMosIJ
BrahMos represents a success story based on a unique combination of various ingredients:
Today, the Indian armed forces have readily inducted the BrahMos, world’s best supersonic cruise missile system, in their naval fleet and land regiments. The missile can be fitted in any type of platform, can be launched from any terrain — snow mountains, desert, sea, at any temperature, and can be launched in multiple numbers against different targets (on sea and on land) in minimum time, the only one-of-its-kind in the world, a truly universal unique missile. BrahMos today, stands as the best in the world in terms of its winning performance and high precision, and is regarded as one of the leading strategic weapons of choice.
You are regarded as the father of BrahMos. How do you look at your own contributionIJ
I was at Harvard Business School, Boston, USA, when the Gulf War broke out in 1990-91. It gave me an opportunity to watch and analyse the strategy adopted during the war. I learnt a big lesson that cruise missiles were going to play a very important role in future wars, as the first weapon of choice, in destroying critical enemy assets both on land and on sea. That is when I was struck with the thought of “can we make a cruise missile better than the Tomahawk”, used by USA in the Gulf War.
In those days, we were working purely on the Integrated Guided Missile programme, that included Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Nag and Trishul missiles as long distance strike weapons for strategic applications and as defensive short range missiles. Developing cruise missile technology was not in the plan. I was also responsible for all missile projects, as programme director. Realising the importance of cruise missiles after the Gulf War, we decided to embark on developing it. At that time, we had a close association with Russian Institute for Underwater. As a part of this association, I led my team during early 1990s. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, and in the backdrop of an economically weaker Russian nation, I reached out to the Russian Institute, and expressed our wish of developing a cruise missile.
The institute’s DG Yefremov took me in confidence and showed me an engine which provided supersonic speed, and which had been successfully tested for the speed in various tests. He suggested that with this engine technology, India’s Defense Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) could build a supersonic cruise missile. The idea took shape, and with series of further discussions and detailing, blossomed into a joint venture between India’s DRDO and the Russian Institute.
Being the initiative of this wonderful project, with a lot of uncertainty of realisation of a JV, I was made the founder CEO and MD of BrahMos. This was the first experiment of JV for weapon from mind and market. To put the best effort from DRDO for guidance, technology and land position as chief controller R&D, (Missiles) helped. Today, the BrahMos joint venture is considered as a successful model for developing high technology products between two countries. My contribution has been to transform the concept into a successfully developed, commercially viable best-in class weapon, within a set timeframe, for the weapon to be inducted into the Indian armed forces, involving multiple industries for production and supply.
From concept to completion and to a highly successful induction in the Indian force, that is what I see as my biggest contribution, for what I have been recognised by both governments with national award.
What do you regard as the key takeaways and lessons from this projectIJ
The key takeaway for me is the success in transforming concept to completion, in a time-bound manner, to realise the objective of designing and developing a best-in-class weapon, that is also commercially viable. I believe, ‘Making in India’ should be our focus to achieve self-reliance, and we need a military industry complex to produce various high-technology products. The industry can have their joint ventures major industries abroad to bring high technology products into the mainstream. To enhance the professionalism in managing high technology, as mission mode programmes, we need to have certified project management specialists, through International Projects Management Association (IPMA).
How does IPMA differ from professional associationsIJ
International Project Management Association (IPMA) is the world body of professional project leaders, from over 58 nations, nurturing competence at different levels of project management. In India, we have Project Management Association (PMA).
What is PMAIJ What are its objectivesIJ
Project Management Associates (PMA), established in 1993, is in the fore front in strengthening the project management movement in India. It is a not for profit registered society. PMA’s vision is to create a project-oriented India. PMA is the exclusive Indian Member Association of IPMA. It has leased government organisations as members. Professionals who have been successful in managing projects, have been certified as level A and B project leaders, and others who are being groomed have been certified level C and D professionals. large missions like ‘Make-in-India make project management more contextually relevant than ever before, and bring out the critical need for professionally certified project managers to take the responsibility of carrying out these projects within the cost and with the desired objectives achieved. European countries and China have gone in a big way in the certification of professionals, as per the IPMA process of competence.
As a recently elected president of PMA, what are your plansIJ
India is emerging as a technology power, leading to economic prosperity with high GDP growth rate and industrial development. Our government has a vision of ‘Make-in-India’, by developing globally competitive products.
This will happen only when India decides to go the project management way of doing things. For this mindset to take root it is imperative that the concepts should be introduced from the school level, to promote thinking based on a systemic way of achieving results. Project management principles build competence among individuals and professionals, for them to be able to carry out things in the right way.