Eminent scientist Dr. Jagannath Nayak has been appointed as the new Director General (Missiles and Strategic Systems) of DRDO. He will replace U Raja Babu. With 35 years of experience, Dr. Nayak has played a key role in developing India’s first Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system.
Hyderabad (Telangana) [भारत]June 30 (ANI): Distinguished Scientist (DS) and CHESS Director Dr Jagannath Nayak has been appointed as Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems (DGMSS) in DRDO with effect from July 1, 2026. Consequent to the retirement of U Raja Babu, DS and DG MSS, Nayak has been appointed as DG (MSS), DRDO.
According to the release, Dr. Jagannath Nayak is a distinguished scientist and Director of Center for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS), DRDO, with over 35 years of experience in Defense Research and Development (R&D). He is renowned for his R&D in indigenous design and development of advanced avionics for defense and aerospace applications.
Major achievements and contributions
As Director of CHESS, Dr. Nayak led the development, field testing and transfer of technology (ToT) of India’s first Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system, a major breakthrough in future defense technologies.
Nayak holds an MS and PhD in Electrical Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. He is the chief architect of the Fiber Optic Gyro (FOG) guidance and DEW-based anti-drone system for Akash missiles.
He led the indigenous development of Fiber Optic Gyroscopes (FOG) as Project Director at Research Center Building (RCI), Hyderabad, making India self-reliant in this critical technology, which is now deployed in missiles, aircraft and main battle tanks.
Scientific excellence and respect
Dr. Nayak’s career exemplifies scientific excellence, visionary leadership and transformational contributions to India’s defense research and development. He was the founding president of the IEEE Photonics Society, Hyderabad Chapter. He was a distinguished visiting professor at IISc Bangalore and IIT Madras from 2009 to 2014.
He has published more than 125 research papers in reputed journals and conference proceedings and has authored several books. He is widely recognized for his expertise in Directed Energy Weapons, Inertial Navigation Systems, Lasers and Fiber Optics. He has guided more than ten (10) PhD students.
He is the recipient of several prestigious honors, including the Aryabhata Award from the Astronautical Society of India, the National Aeronautical Award from the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI), the DRDO Agni Award for Excellence in Self-Reliance, the Neena Saxena Excellence in Technology Award, and the Aeronautical Society of India Golden Jubilee Award.
He is a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE), the Optical Society of India (OSI) and the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering (IETE). He is a Distinguished Fellow of ASI, Associate Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation (UK), Vice President of the Optical Society of India (OSI) and Sensor Research Society (SRS) of India and Secretary of INAE Hyderabad Chapter. (ANI)
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