IIT Hyderabad appoints ex-DRDO chief as 'Honorary Advisor'

Hyderabad: The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) has appointed Dr G Satheesh Reddy, former Chairman of DRDO and former Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, Government of India, as Honorary Advisor (R&D).

Dr. Satheesh Reddy is one of India’s foremost scientific leaders in Defence and Aerospace technologies, having served as Scientific Adviser to defence minister , Member of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), and currently as Honorary Adviser (Aerospace & Defence Manufacturing) in Cabinet Rank to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, President of the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI), and Distinguished Senior Professor at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus.

In his role as Advisor to IIT Hyderabad, Dr Reddy will facilitate the development of multi-institutional and multidisciplinary R&D programmes, aligned with national priorities, while also strengthening industry collaboration and translational research at the Institute. His mentorship is expected to play a key role in shaping strategic research directions, fostering innovation, and accelerating India’s journey towards technological self-reliance.

Expressing his acceptance, Dr G Satheesh Reddy said: “Extremely happy and honoured to be the Honorary Advisor (R&D) of IIT Hyderabad. I am glad to be part of the advanced research activities of IITH R&D ecosystem and looking forward to working with IIT Hyderabad. Together, we will push the frontiers of R&D for a strong Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

“Dr. Satheesh Reddy’s unparalleled contributions to India’s Defence and Aerospace sectors, along with his visionary leadership in national R&D, make his association with IIT Hyderabad immensely valuable. His contribution will be instrumental in enabling large-scale, mission-driven research, strengthening our industry partnerships, and advancing translational research aligned with national priorities. We believe his mentorship will inspire our faculty and students to achieve new milestones in innovation and technological self-reliance as well as strengthen ongoing collaboration of our Institute with our country defence tri services i.e Indian Army, Navy & Airforce of carrying out their research projects as well as conducting capacity building programs, facilitating higher education opportunities to their staff,” said Prof. B. S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad.

The appointment is expected to significantly enhance IIT Hyderabad’s capabilities in strategic sectors such as Defence, Aerospace, Advanced Manufacturing, and Deep-tech research, while also reinforcing its commitment to building a globally competitive research ecosystem that addresses critical national need.

IITH, established in 2008, has reached a respectable position in academics, research, technology development, and Start-ups in a short span of 17+ years.

In the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF-2025), IITH is ranked 7th among Engineering institutes (crossing a first-generation IIT this year), and is ranked 6th in Innovation, while it has maintained its rank within the top 10 Engineering Institutes ever since NIRF was launched.