Hyderabad, September 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Defence scientist Dr P. Srihari has assumed charge as the Director of Research Centre Imarat (RCI), a key laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Hyderabad.
Srihari took charge on Tuesday after being appointed to head the premier defence research facility.
According to a Defence Ministry release, Srihari completed his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Nagarjuna University in 1990, followed by a Master of Engineering from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, and a Ph.D. from Osmania University, Hyderabad.
He joined DRDO through the Mechanical Engineering Fellowship Course and began his career as a Scientist ‘B’ at the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) in Bengaluru in October 1992. During his early years, he worked on the Multi-Mode Radar (MMR) for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme and designed and developed a multilayer slotted array antenna. The technology was subsequently used in several DRDO antenna programmes, including those for the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and Battlefield Surveillance Radar (BFSR).
In 2000, Srihari was deputed to IAI/ELTA for the Long Range Tracking Radar (LRTR) under Programme AD and was instrumental in developing the Kolar Radar Range. He moved to the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, in December 2003 and began working in its Liquid Propulsion Division.
Srihari later designed and developed the Divert and Attitude Control System (DACS) for interceptor missiles under India’s Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) programme. The cold-gas Reaction Control System (RCS) developed by him was successfully used in target missiles during interceptor trials.
In 2015, he joined Programme AD and worked on the Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) and AD-II interceptor missiles. He was also part of the core team involved in the successful execution of India’s Anti-Satellite (ASAT) programme, which intercepted a Low Earth Orbit satellite in March 2019.
In 2019, Srihari was appointed Project Director of the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) project for the Indian Air Force, a joint development programme between DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Under his leadership, the first firing unit was inducted into the Indian Air Force in October 2021, while production lines were established for delivery of the remaining firing units.
Srihari became Project Director in Programme AD in August 2021 and was elevated to Programme Director of the BMD programme in 2022.
For his contributions to defence research and technology development, he has received the Agni Award for Excellence in Self-Reliance, the DRDO Award for Path-Breaking Research and the Scientist of the Year Award.
He currently serves as Honorary Secretary of the Hyderabad chapter of the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI) and is associated with institutions including the High Energy Materials Society of India (HEMSI), Indian National Society for Aerospace and Related Mechanisms (INSARM) and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
Srihari has also authored more than 10 research papers in national and international journals covering missile systems.
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