Dr. Ram Narain Agarwal, 'Father of Agni Missiles,' Passed away at 84

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Dr. Ram Narain Agarwal, known as the "Father of Agni Missiles," passed away at the age of 84 in Hyderabad, Telangana.

An Overview of the News

• Born on 24 July 1941 in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Ram Narain Agarwal was a renowned missile scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Contributions to DRDO

• Technology Demonstrator: Under his leadership, the first successful test of the Technology Demonstrator missile was conducted in May 1989.

• Agni Missile Program: Appointed as the first Programme Director of Agni missiles in 1995, he was instrumental in its development and was known as 'Agni Man.'

Achievements

• Missile Development: By 1999, he and his team developed a new version with a Road Mobile Launcher (RML) capability and enhanced strike distance beyond Agni-1.

• ICBM Development: He led the development of various versions of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs).

• Advanced Systems Laboratory: Founded and directed the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) in Hyderabad.

Awards and Honors

• Padma Awards: Honored with the Padma Shri in 1990 and Padma Bhushan in 2000 for his contributions to science and engineering.

• DRDO Awards: Received the DRDO Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, along with the DRDO Technology Leadership Award.

• Other Honors: Awarded the Sri Chandrasekararendra Saraswati National Eminence Award and the Biren Roy Space Science Award.

• Fellowships: Dr. Agarwal was a fellow of the Aeronautical Society of India and the National Academy of Engineering.