Impact of Defence Offsets on Military Industry Capability and Self-Reliance: The Road Ahead

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, b. 15 October 1931, is one oc India’s most distinguished scientists. He was responsible for the development of India's first satellite launch vehicle, the SLV-3, development and operationalization of strategic missiles and their weaponization, and for building indigenous capability in critical technologies. As Chairman of the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), he guided a number of technology projects and missions to take India into the twenty-first century. The document on Technology Vision 2020 is a blueprint to make India a developed country. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam held various positions in ISRO and DRDO and became Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India holding the rank of a Cabinet Minister. He has the unique honour of receiving honorary doctorates from thirty universities and the country's three highest civilian honours - Padma Bhushan (1981), Padma Vibhushan (1990) and Bharat Ratna (1997). He has done a short stint as Professor of Technology and Societal Transformation at Anna University, Chennai, when he was elected President of India in July 2002.  He has met more than 4,00,000 children all over the country to share his vision of India.

Professor Surendra Nath Misra (b. 1944) received M.A. degree from Allahabad University and taught Economics in the Department of Analytical and Applied Economics, Berhampur University for more than two decades prior to his joining as a Professor of Economics, Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies, Bhubaneswar. Under his guidance 10 Ph.D. Scholars and 10 M.Phil Scholars have been awarded degrees. He has successfully completed 14 projects sponsored by U.G.C., ICSSR, Planning Commission, Ministry off Food Processing Industries, NALCO, World Bank, Panchayati Raj Department and OSCFDC, Govt. of Orissa. Dr. Misra has written more than 60 articles, which have been published in different journals in the areas of Institutional, Finance, rural Development, child Nutrition, Education and Poverty. His publications at the all-India level include; Growth of Commercial Banking in Orissa, Commercial Banking and Agricultural Development, Dynamics of Rural-Urban Migration, Multi Agency System and Rural Development, Co-operative Management and Rural Banking, Agro-Industries and Economic Development – A vision for the 21st century Professor Misra is the life member of several professional bodies like; Indian Economic Association, Indian Institute of Public Administration and Orissa Economics Association for the period 2001-2004. He has the distinction of being the Chairman of the technical session, on “Poverty and Sustainable Development” in 86th Annual Conference of Indian Economic Association held in Shivaji University, Kolhapur, 2003.