Rourkela, Dec. 27: Aero-scientist Kota Harinarayana, who is known as the father of light combat aircraft (LCA) project of the country, shared his experience of working on the project while speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, here last evening.
"More than 20 major industries, 200 to 300 small industries, 25 academic institutions and 40 research labs worked together to make LCA happen. This is contrary to the belief that we cannot work in a team that is drawn from various areas," he said.
Uttam Kumar Pal
"When Indians put their heads together, they can do wonders," added the aero-scientist while delivering the first Bhubaneswar Behera Memorial Lecture here.
Behera was the first principal of the erstwhile Regional Engineering College, Rourkela (now NIT).
Explaining one of the achievements of the LCA project, Harinarayana said: "We have now developed one of the better aircraft in the world."
He said that the restriction imposed on the country that followed the 1998 atomic explosions helped the country become self-reliant.
He also spoke for the urgency to go further in aviation technology.
Former chairman of Hindusthan Aeornautics Limited N.R. Mohanty, who is also an alumnus of the college, spoke briefly about the times he shared with scholar and engineer Bhubaneswar Behera.
Mohanty also urged all the former students of the college to contribute towards its development.
NIT-Rourkela director Sunil Kumar Sarangi requested the alumni to contribute towards building a corpus fund.
"We have to create a corpus fund for the betterment of the institute. Yesterday, the students of 1990-batch donated Rs 10 lakh. They have also promised to donate Rs 1 crore within a month," said Sarangi.
Sairendhri Bisi, the mother of Bimal Bisi, who is an alumnus of the institute presently working with Rourkela Steel Plant, donated Rs 1 lakh to the fund.
More than 450 alumni took part in the reunion.
Assam government's science and technology secretary Biswaranjan Samal enthralled the audience with his rendition of devotional songs, especially from the Gita Govinda.
