Celebrating Narasaiah who shaped India's space defence research
Freedom fighter-turned-technologist, the late S V Narasaiah, was celebrated in Bengaluru on Saturday for his pivotal role in shaping India's space and defence research, especially after the country faced technological embargoes following the 1974 Pokhran nuclear test.
Narasaiah was known for his contributions to vacuum technology, which has permeated every aspect of modern life from stainless steel flasks to hypersonic wind tunnels. But few know that Narasaiah's journey began at 38, following an already remarkable career. Having participated in the freedom struggle, publishing an underground newspaper, creating documentaries, and working as a photojournalist in the Eastern Bloc, he eventually turned his attention to manufacturing zoom and telephoto lenses—expensive imports at the time.
His sons Nagarjun and Prasanth Sakhamuri recalled his journey on the sidelines of a programme organised at IISc. With help from friends at the Indian Institute of Science (then known as Tata Institute), Narasaiah reverse-engineered the necessary technology. "He created his own machine and eventually began selling it to academic and industrial clients," Nagarjun said. This humble beginning led to the founding of Hind High Vacuum Co. (P) Ltd (HHV), an enterprise specialised in vacuum technology.
Prasanth said: "Following the nuclear test in Pokhran, western nations imposed an embargo on vacuum technology—a technology crucial for atomic energy applications. The flow of advanced technology to India abruptly stopped. For many, this would have been a crippling blow, but for him (Narasaiah), it was an opportunity to rise to the challenge. The scientific and research community rallied around HHV during that time, offering their full support. Vacuum technology had become a matter of national importance, and whenever there was a critical challenge, many scientists would turn to Narasaiah for solutions. And he never backed down from a challenge," he added.
SVN, as he was fondly called, went on to become the director of the small-scale industries association in Karnataka and was the founding member of the Indian Vacuum Society. He was an active member of the American Society of Metals and was recognised for his services by the India chapter in 2019. Some of the most challenging projects HHV undertook under Narasaiah's leadership included a robotic coater for the LCA (light combat aircraft) programme and a hypersonic wind tunnel for Isro.
His sons recalled an adage that Narasaiah stood by: "If I don't have the confidence to support another Indian manufacturer, why should others have confidence in me?" —a true testament to his belief in the power of ‘Make in India' long before it became a national movement.
Most of his ventures began with a simple curiosity—vacuum flasks, for example. His passion for innovation led him to develop stainless steel vacuum flasks in 1987, long before they became common. Similarly, he pursued projects in compact fluorescent lamp equipment and thin-film solar technology, always ahead of his time, looking for the next breakthrough. Most of the time, it was in the market at the wrong time. As far back as the 1970s, he built a solar water heating system for his home—a novelty at that time when wood dust or electric immersion heaters were the norm.
"SV Narasaiah stood for entrepreneurship and innovation. I can't believe that 60 years ago, he thought of starting a company… These are visionaries because of whom India is what it is today, and we should celebrate their achievements and not forget them," said Prof V Ramgopal Rao, group vice-chancellor, BITS Pilani Group.
(Note: As published in the Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/celebrating-narasaiah-who-shaped-indias-space-defence-research/articleshow/113772317.cms)