1967 - BTech - Electrical Engineering & 1970 - M.Tech - Electrical Engineering Chairman and Managing Director @ Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore
Mr. Gopala Rao was until recently the Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bangalore. In a career spanning over three decades at BEL, he has made outstanding technical and business contributions to the company. Prior to joining BEL, he served as a faculty member at IIT Madras and Madras Institute of Technology. He received his B.Tech in 1967 and M.Tech in 1970 (Electrical Engineering) from IIT Madras.
Very early in his career, Mr. Gopala Rao was responsible for developing the first solid-state black and white television receiver, using solely indigenous components. At the helm of the component activities at BEL, he was responsible for the indigenous development and manufacture of several semiconductor devices for the communication and consumer electronics markets. In recognition of his contributions to the component industry, the Electronics Industries Association of India (ELCINA) awarded him the Electronics Man of the Year Award for 2003-04. As the Executive Director of the Bangalore Unit of BEL, he was responsible for introducing several new product lines, resulting in the growth of business from Rs. 569 crores in 1998-99 to Rs. 990 crores in 2000-01.
As Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. Gopala Rao has transformed BEL into a customer-focused, competitive company for the supply of world-class products and turnkey solutions indefense and other chosen fields. The turnover of the company doubled over a period of four years, with a thrust on exports. Mr. Rao’s leadership at BEL helped the company garner many prestigious awards. BEL won the MoU Award in 2004 for being among the top ten public sector units for two consecutive years and the Raksha Mantri’s Award of Excellence in 2005. It also won the STAR PSU award for the year 2005. Based on operating performance, strategy, financial health and R&D, BEL has been ranked first among medium-sized aerospace / defense companies worldwide, for 2003-04 and 2004-05 by Aviation Week & Space Technology.
In recognition of Mr. Gopala Rao’s technical contributions and managerial excellence, IIT Madras and its alumni take pride in conferring on him this award.
