1964 - B.Tech - Metallurgical and Material Engineering MD @ HAL - B’lore Complex
Dr. Krishnadas Nair has led our Country’s path-breaking efforts in Aviation Metallurgy, showing the way to self-reliance in this field.
Dr.Nair graduated from this Institute in 1964, with a Bachelor of Technology in Metallurgical Engineering, and followed it up with M.Sc and Ph.D. from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. After a brief stint as Assistant Professor at Karnataka Regional Engineering College, Surathkal, he went to the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom for Post Doctoral studies in Industrial Metallurgy. He joined the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bangalore in 1971, and worked in various capacities in its Research & Development, Design and Production Departments. In 1988, he was appointed Managing Director of the Bangalore Complex of HAL.
Winner of several awards, Visiting Member of the Faculty of Universities in many countries, Fellow and Member of many professional bodies, and Founder Member of the Materials Research Society of India, Dr.Nair has contributed significantly to the indigenization of materials and technologies for the aircraft industry. High-strength aluminium alloys and special-quality steels were developed to international specifications and their production technology was standardized under his leadership. He has also made significant contributions to the development of light-weight magnesium alloys, titanium alloys and composite materials used in the castings for Jaguar Aircraft, Chetak and Cheetah Helicopters, and most recently in advanced light helicopters.
Dr. Nair has published more than 150 papers on Metallurgical Engineering and Management, focusing on the forging and creation of alloys not available to aviation industry so far. His contributions are particularly valuable in a field which has one of the highest growth potential world-wide in the coming years.
