1987 - Ph.D - Electrical Engineering Secretary, Department of Defence R & D and DG @ DRDO
Dr. S. Christopher received a doctoral degree in Antennae and Measurement Techniques from IIT Madras in 1987. Prior to that, he obtained a B.E. (Honours) in Electronics and Communication Engineering from University of Madras, and an M.Tech. in Microwaves and Radar Engineering from IIT Kharagpur.
Dr. Christopher began what was to become an illustrious career as a Senior Engineer in M/s Bharat Electronics, before going on to join the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) at Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) as Scientist ‘D’. It was in this position that he led a team to create the Indigenous Automated Planar Near-Field Measurement Facility at LRDE, a first in the country at the time. Over the years, he headed many projects including the development and design of slotted array technology that was later used in many airborne and missile projects. He was also the Project Director for, amongst several such instances, the development of the Maritime Patrol Airborne Radar, Super Vision 2000, for the Indian Navy. In the years that followed, he served as the Programme Director for the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) and as Director, Centre for Air-Borne Systems (CABS).
Apart from his many positions of responsibility in leading national organizations and labs, Dr. Christopher is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Engineers (FNAE), Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI) and the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunications Engineers (IETE). Further, he is a member of SEE, IEEE and has been the recipient of many awards and accolades, including ‘DRDO Scientist of the Year’ in 1998. In 2014, he was given the DRDO Agni Award for Excellence in Self Reliance. He has also received several Establishment Republic Day Awards over the years. Dr. Christopher’s dedication to research is evident through his tryst with academia as well, reflected in the existence of over seventy papers to his name as well as numerous patents and copyrights.
For Dr. Christopher’s monumental contribution to the growth of defence-related research and development in the country, IIT Madras and its alumni are proud to confer on him this award.
