Col. H. S. SHANKAR (Retd) VSM, graduated in June 1964, with BE
(Electrical) in I Class and 9th Rank from University (of Mysore)
and ME from IISC, Bangalore with Distinction.
In his service with Army / EME, he took part in
both 1965 and 1971 Wars against Pakistan. He was awarded VISHITA
SEVA MEDAL (VSM) for upgrading the TIGERCAT Ground-to-Air Missile
System. He has held important assignments in the Army and has extended
long tenures at our Border Areas in Punjab and in High Altitude Areas in
J&K and Sikkim.
After 22 years’ service in Army, he was absorbed
into BEL in 1986 as Dy. General Manager in 1986 and rose to become DIRECTOR
(R&D) from 1996 - 2003. At BEL, he was responsible for development
and production of Lakhs of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) which are being
used today all over India for elections. He also directed more than 250
new R&D Products while at BEL, including all the Projects under Guided Missile
Development Program, EW (Electronic Warfare) Systems, Tactical Communication
Systems, Radars, Tank Fire Control Systems, etc. He was awarded “OUTSTANDING
CONTRIBUTION TO DEFENCE R&D AWARD” by Defence Minister
during 2001.
After retirement from BEL in March 2003, he started
(as CMD) a new R&D and Manufacturing Defence Electronics Company called
Alpha Design Technologies Private Limited in Bangalore, which is today one of
the foremost Defence Electronics and Aviation R&D and Production Company
with 825 personnel including 621 young engineers (in 22 – 29 year age bracket)
and technicians. Top echelon of Alpha is from Ex BEL / Ex DRDO / Ex
Service Officers.
The company’s annual turnover is Rs. 401.03 Cr and
it has a healthy Order book of Rs. 9113.21 Crores (USD 1.360 Bn).
Alpha specializes in development and production of
Night Vision Thermal sights, Electronic Warfare equipment, Tactical
Communications equipment, and major R&D Projects such as Software Defined
Radios, Missile Seeker Systems (in collaboration with BRAHMOS), IFF,
Simulators, Airframes for SU-30 air crafts, etc.
He has presented 112 technical papers in seminars
all over the world and has visited almost all Countries in the world. He has
spearheaded and pioneered in bringing to-gether Indian DRDO Labs, DPSUs and
other OEMs abroad to work to-gether as “Make in India” Projects.
He is the Chairman of FICCI Defence Sub-Committee on Indian Defence
SME. He has recently visited USA and Vietnam as Head of Indian Defence
Industry Delegation accompanying Hon’ble Raksha Mantriji. He was also
appointed recently by MoD as Chairman of Sub Group on AFVs to select Strategic
Partners.
He is considered as one of the foremost Defence
R&D technologist in the Country today.