Missile Man of India: The Life and Leadership of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

dr a.p.j. abdul kalam, fondly known as the "missile man of india", began his journey in a modest setting—receiving his early education in tamil medium at a government school. with a strong foundation in aerospace engineering, he commenced his professional career as a trainee engineer at the hindustan aeronautics limited (hal), bengaluru.in1962, kalam joined the indian space research organisation's thumba equatorial rocket launching station in thiruvananthapuram, where isro was engaged in the development of the satellite launch vehicle (slv-3). the 17-tonne, four-stage slv-3 was designed to place a 35-kg satellite in low earth orbit.in1972, a dedicated project committee was constituted under kalam's leadership to design and build the slv-3 indigenously. despite the absence of international technological collaboration, kalam spearheaded the effort with innovation and resilience, particularly through the use of fibre-reinforced plastic materials for lightweight components.the rocket's complex design required the coordination of 44 major subsystems. under his guidance, the rohini satellite was successfully launched into orbit in 1980, making india the sixth country in the world with such capability. while global powers like the united states took over a decade to achieve similar success, isro accomplished the feat in just seven years—largely credited to kalam's visionary leadership.recognising the strategic importance of missile technology for national defence, kalam was appointed director of the defence research and development organisation (drdo) in 1982. drawing upon his isro experience, he led the development of advanced missile systems such as agni and akash, capable of supersonic speeds. he collaborated with russia for technological insights and played a key role in developing the indigenous brahmos cruise missile.kalam's legacy lies in pioneering india's capabilities in launch vehicles, strategic missiles, and nuclear technology—laying the foundation for the country's self-reliant defence and space sectors.