Air Vice Marshal Vettakkorumakankav Sivarama Narayanan was posted to the Defence Research and Development Laboratory in 1972, as its Director and Project Officer. There, he built up extensive and comprehensive infrastructure relating to rocket tests, flight range fabrication, aerodynamics, structural tests, environmental tests and quality control, He also built up technological competence in the fields of propulsion, navigation guidance, control, structures, computer science and system technology. He activated a number of sister Research and Development Laboratories and production units, in their respective areas of specialisation and production competence, as relevant to the large weapon systems. He also has motivated, trained and built up a team of young dedicated scientists to form the “core" in the various areas of Missile Technology. These efforts have taken the shape of a complete integrated complex system for utilising and harnessing the resources of the various production units into a time-bound and cost-bound hardware development programme. Thereby a nucleus of powerful project management capability for large projects has been established.

Air Vice Marshal Vettakkorumakankav Sivarama Narayanan has thus rendered distinguished service of the most exceptional order.

Wing Commander Raghavan Gopalaswamy (5826) Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) was commissioned in the Engineering Branch of the Air Force on 1st December, 1959.

Wing Commander Gopalaswamy was responsible during November 1961 to August 1975 for pioneering, guiding and directing the work of development of liquid propulsion systems for guided weapons in India. The bulk of this work has been taken up by him in the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad. This work which is entirely indigenous has laid down the foundation for the development of range of liquid rocket power plants for short and long range guided weapons and rockets.

Wing Commander Gopalaswamy is today one of the top Rocket Propulsion technologists in India. By his pioneering and dedicated efforts of an exceptional order over a long period of 13 years and in the face of unsurmountable difficulties he has estab lished a vital breakthrough and competence in our country in the design, development and testing of the entire spectrum of liquid propulsion engines for rockets and missiles.

Wing Commander Raghavan Gopalaswamy is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal for the distinguished service of a high order and for self-reliance and propulsion technology in rockets and guided missiles.