Himalayas to Hyderabad: A Journey from Border Roads to Missiles, Microdrones and Cyborgs

The monograph describes the start of India’s journey in 1959 to build strategic roads in the Himalayas, at our borders in J&K with Pakistan and in Arunachal Pradesh with China. Pandit Nehru, visiting our road project to Sela, Bomdila, Tawang in 1961, said at Bomdila, “I give roads first priority”. In March 2024, our current PM, Sri Narendra Modi, opened the Sela Tunnel! Next, the book covers India’s journey, at Hyderabad, for self-reliance in missiles for India with Indigenous Design, Development and Manufacture (IDDM). It includes Devil, Prithvi and its variants, Agni, Trishul, Akash, Nag, Ballistic Missile Defence, and the joint development with Russia of Brahmos. In spite of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), imposed by the G8 countries, Prithvi (Army) was cleared for induction, one year ahead of schedule with 95% indigenous content. It is the 1st IDDM missile to enter our Armed Forces. Prithvi and its variants, Agnis, Akash, Brahmos and Tejas have been deployed. Radars, made for Trishul, are used by the Indian Navy. Nag trials are on. The book discusses the indigenous development of critical technologies (for the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas), which were restricted after the Pokhran II tests. Finally, the book describes the initiation in 1998 of the National Programme for Mini, Micro Air Vehicles (Drones) and Cyborgs – an activity blessed by Sri Narendra Modi, in The Indian Science Congress (2020) at Bangalore. Many mini drones are being made in India. R&D in Rodent Cyborgs is in progress.