DRDO gets first woman Director General

‘Outstanding Scientist’ J Manjula, has been appointed the Director General, Electronics and Communication Systems cluster, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

She has assumed charge from distinguished scientist and Director General Dr K D Nayak, who was holding additional charge as Director General, Electronic & Communication Systems. She is among the few women to take charge of such a high position in DRDO. While the appointment of men to top positions in the defence world is the order of the day, women occupying high positions is uncommon.

Manjula has the honour of being the first lady Director General of a DRDO cluster. She has been leading the Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), an establishment of DRDO, as Director since July 2014. She is an alumnus of Osmania University and a practicing Electronics and Communications engineer.

She had a brief stint in Electronics Corporation of India Ltd before joining DRDO in 1987. She has served in the Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL), Hyderabad, for more than 26 years in the area of Integrated Electronic Warfare. She has designed and realised fast signal acquisition receivers, high power RF systems, responsive jammers, controller software, among other defence equipment for various systems inducted in the military and paramilitary forces. She has vast experience in the design of Electronic Warfare Systems and their deployment in a wide area network. Her specialization includes configuration of Communication and Radar ESM and ECM systems.

Manjula, who has worked closely with the Indian industry, academia and foreign firms, is a recipient of the DRDO awards for ‘Performance Excellence’ and ‘Scientist of the Year 2011’.