Tata, Chairman of the Tata group of companies, to visit Telco at Pune, particularly to witness the challenge of designing, developing and manufacturing in the country a fully Indian car, the Indica. The prospect of the visit excited me. I thought I would get an answer to some questions that I have been asked on many occasions.
In 1980 when our team in ISRO launched the satellite launch vehicle and put Rohini into low-earth orbit, it was a big event for the nation. On 4 January 2001, when I saw the first prototype fighter aircraft, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), designed and developed indigenously by the AeronauticalDevelopment Agency (ADA), taking to the skies, again India was described as one of the few countries to have acquired capabilities in this sophisticated field. This is the result of intensified networking between R&D laboratories, industry, academic institutions, users and the government.
Ratan Tata told me during the visit about his vision of making India a global player in the automobile sector. To implement his vision, he decided to acquire car manufacturing units from many countries rather than set them up here at considerable expense in terms of money and time. He looked towards manufacturing five times the present levels so that they could graduate to being globally competitive. This is a beautiful idea. I would add that Indian industrial complexes should become consortia as a first step and then envision becoming multinational companies.
I and my team are invited by a number of scientific, industrial, academic and management institutions to share our experiences in the pursuit of some of thenational tasks I have mentioned. One question that came up during my interaction with students in Mumbai rings in my mind even now.
‘Dr Kalam, we are very happy to see that India can build and produce its own SLVs and satellites, its own strategic missiles as also nuclear weapons and power stations. Can you tell me when India will design and produce its own passenger car with an Indian engine?’
When I was going through the design, manufacture of component, sub-assembly, integration and testing plants at Telco and was told that the company is producing about 60,000 cars annually, I was reminded of this question. I was not only witnessing the answer to it but also the technological strength of our nation.
I had another opportunity to see a concept take shape when Wipro invited me to participate in a function to mark the commissioning of a mobile heart care clinic at Bangalore in October 2000. This was a collaborative effort of Wipro-GE, CareFoundation and Klenzaids. My friend Arun Tiwari and I provided the system concept for the project. It was a great experience for me. After the inauguration I visited the Wipro-GE Centre that builds specialized medical equipment using advanced technologies. As soon as I entered a young man approached me and pinned a national flag on my shirt. I shook his hand and asked him, ‘Young man, will you stay and work for this country?’
He replied, ‘Dr Kalam, I am in the profession of working on medical gadgets that are used for diagnosis. I am committed to a profession in which one tries to remove pain. I am needed here.’ I was delighted by his answer. The centre itself struck me as a positive collaboration between two nations in the field of healthcare.
After the programme, Azim Premji, who heads Wipro, accompanied me to the DRDO guest house. On the way, he explained how he was trying to assist elementary schools in Karnataka so that more children could be brought into the classroom. As we werehaving tea at the guest house, I asked him, ‘How has Wipro reached its high stature in the business world?’
Premji gave a remarkable answer. ‘Dr Kalam, I can say there are three aspects that come to my mind. One: Sweat for generations and the hard work of teams. Two: In Wipro we work for the customer’s delight. Three: A bit of luck. The third point will not be of any
In 1980 when our team in ISRO launched the satellite launch vehicle and put Rohini into low-earth orbit, it was a big event for the nation. On 4 January 2001, when I saw the first prototype fighter aircraft, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), designed and developed indigenously by the AeronauticalDevelopment Agency (ADA), taking to the skies, again India was described as one of the few countries to have acquired capabilities in this sophisticated field. This is the result of intensified networking between R&D laboratories, industry, academic institutions, users and the government.
Ratan Tata told me during the visit about his vision of making India a global player in the automobile sector. To implement his vision, he decided to acquire car manufacturing units from many countries rather than set them up here at considerable expense in terms of money and time. He looked towards manufacturing five times the present levels so that they could graduate to being globally competitive. This is a beautiful idea. I would add that Indian industrial complexes should become consortia as a first step and then envision becoming multinational companies.
I and my team are invited by a number of scientific, industrial, academic and management institutions to share our experiences in the pursuit of some of thenational tasks I have mentioned. One question that came up during my interaction with students in Mumbai rings in my mind even now.
‘Dr Kalam, we are very happy to see that India can build and produce its own SLVs and satellites, its own strategic missiles as also nuclear weapons and power stations. Can you tell me when India will design and produce its own passenger car with an Indian engine?’
When I was going through the design, manufacture of component, sub-assembly, integration and testing plants at Telco and was told that the company is producing about 60,000 cars annually, I was reminded of this question. I was not only witnessing the answer to it but also the technological strength of our nation.
I had another opportunity to see a concept take shape when Wipro invited me to participate in a function to mark the commissioning of a mobile heart care clinic at Bangalore in October 2000. This was a collaborative effort of Wipro-GE, CareFoundation and Klenzaids. My friend Arun Tiwari and I provided the system concept for the project. It was a great experience for me. After the inauguration I visited the Wipro-GE Centre that builds specialized medical equipment using advanced technologies. As soon as I entered a young man approached me and pinned a national flag on my shirt. I shook his hand and asked him, ‘Young man, will you stay and work for this country?’
He replied, ‘Dr Kalam, I am in the profession of working on medical gadgets that are used for diagnosis. I am committed to a profession in which one tries to remove pain. I am needed here.’ I was delighted by his answer. The centre itself struck me as a positive collaboration between two nations in the field of healthcare.
After the programme, Azim Premji, who heads Wipro, accompanied me to the DRDO guest house. On the way, he explained how he was trying to assist elementary schools in Karnataka so that more children could be brought into the classroom. As we werehaving tea at the guest house, I asked him, ‘How has Wipro reached its high stature in the business world?’
Premji gave a remarkable answer. ‘Dr Kalam, I can say there are three aspects that come to my mind. One: Sweat for generations and the hard work of teams. Two: In Wipro we work for the customer’s delight. Three: A bit of luck. The third point will not be of any
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