APJ Abdul Kalam

APJ Abdul Kalam — the "Missile Man of India" — led the development of India's first indigenous satellite launch vehicle, SLV-3, which successfully placed the Rohini satellite in orbit in July 1980, making India only the sixth country in the world with its own orbital launch capability. He then directed India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), delivering the Agni and Prithvi missiles and establishing India's strategic deterrence. He served as Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister before being elected the nation's 11th President in 2002 — the first scientist and the first Muslim to hold the office. Born to a poor family in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, who could not afford his school fees, he became the most beloved president in modern Indian history. He was mid-lecture to a classroom of students at IIM Shillong when he collapsed and passed away on July 27, 2015. He is remembered as much for the dreams he ignited as for the rockets he built.

Works & Achievements

• ✦SLV-3 — India's first satellite launch vehicle, placed Rohini in orbit (July 18, 1980)
• ✦Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)
• ✦11th President of India (2002–2007)
• ✦Wings of Fire — autobiography (1999, millions of copies sold)
• ✦Bharat Ratna (1997) — India's highest civilian honour
• ✦Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan