P Nilakantan (1910-1964)

Dr P Nilakantan
Dr S R Valluri
Professor R Narasimha
Dr K N Raju
Professor Satish Dhawan
Dr R A Mashelkar
Dr PRamamoorthy
Prof U R Rao
Dr B R Somashekar
Mr K Venkatachalam
Dr K S Yajnik
Dr M V V Murthy
Dr A C Raghuram
Dr Indira Rajagopal
Dr S Srinathkumar
Dr M Shivakumara Swamy
Dr S Nagabhushana
Dr J P Pichamuthu
Dr Srinivas Bhogle

Dr P Nilakantan
Citation read out at the special NAL Foundation Day function held on 18 Jul 1997

National Aerospace Laboratories is privileged to posthumously honour its first Director, Dr

34 years after Nilakantan's demise the 1.2m trisonic wind tunnel is still the jewel in the NAL crown

Parameswar Nilakantan at today's special Foundation Day function to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Indian Independence.

The NAL Wind Tunnel Centre was set up because of the vision, commitment and untiring efforts of Dr

Nilakantan.

In 1959, Dr Nilakantan was invited by CSIR to set up a supersonic wind tunnel centre at Bangalore. It was a mandate which would have severely tested the finest engineer of the time. Starting with a clean slate, Dr Nilakantan was asked to deliver one of the best wind tunnels in the world.

Dr Nilakantan all but achieved this miracle. Sadly, he did not live to see the wind tunnel in operation. Today, 33 years after his demise the 1.2m trisonic wind tunnel is still the jewel in the NAL crown.

On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of our Independence, NAL joins a grateful nation in paying homage to a great engineer, visionary and patriot.