India Thought Leaders: We want to make Bangalore South Indian hub, says BIAL president-elect Hari Marar

| Anantha Krishnan M. | Aviation Week |

| Yelahanka | Bangalore | India | Feb. 4 |

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) is getting a new president of operations in March. Hari Marar, currently director (operations), is taking over the key position at a time when the airport is completing three years of operations. The Terminal 1 expansion is also set to take off in the next few months. “My priority will be to improve the connectivity from Bangalore to more destinations in the coming months. I am inspired to hear that IndiGo and SpiceJet are increasing their fleets, which would aid my dream of making Bangalore airport the aviation hub in South India,” BAIL’s president-elect tells Aviation Week in the India Thought Leaders (ITL) interview series.

AW: Did you expect this key position? Or was it a surprise to you? Now that it has come to you, how important is this role?

HM: Trust me, I wasn’t anticipating it. I am humbled and it shows the kind of confidence and trust the management has in me. It is a very powerful position and with it comes added responsibilities and greater challenges. To me, the overall development of the airport and the subsequent results would translate down to the region, the state and finally the country. My role is important as I feel an airport is a catalyst for economic growth.

AW: Your role as President Operations has come on the eve of the airport completing 3 years. How do you rate the airport’s performance? There has been a remarkable passenger growth at Bangalore International Airport, making it the fastest growing airport in the country. How have you achieved this success?

HM: The most important thing is the overall operational efficiency of the airport. The success of the new Bangalore airport is mainly due to the favorable environment created by all the stakeholders. On a scale of 1-10, I would rate Bangalore 8/10. Here again, the contribution of Marcel (Hungerbuehler, the outgoing president) is very significant. His expertise [of] close to four decades in aviation industry has given a huge impetus to the Bangalore airport. He has set the standard and I will have to carry it forward and further it.

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AVIATION WEEK ITL Interview Series: Accountability will make DRDO vibrant, says Dr Prahlada

THE MAN, THE MISSION: DRDO's top scientist Dr Prahlada is a man of few words and more action. Photo: t-arch-2010
By Anantha Krishnan M. | Aviation Week

Bangalore, India | June 04, 2010

India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is in a rejuvenation mode, following the Ministry of Defense (MoD) in giving itself a much-needed facelift. When reforms are implemented, they promise to make DRDO a vibrant organization. With missile expert Dr. V.K. Saraswat at the helm, DRDO has executed many visible actions so far this year. Amidst the makeovers and intense media scrutiny, Dr. Prahlada, Chief Controller R&D (Aeronautical & Services Interaction), DRDO, has been working hard to ensure that DRDO becomes resourceful and dynamic. AVIATION WEEK caught up with Dr. Prahlada to get a feel for the DRDO of tomorrow as part of its India Thought Leaders (ITL) series.

AW: You are among the few who have seen DRDO for close to 40 years. Do you think the ongoing reforms will make the DRDO any better?

P: Yes it will. I am confident. We need to perform and deliver on time. Quality is the key along with perfection and technological competence. Accountability and responsibility becomes more vital in the new scheme of things. Not that these weren’t there. Just that we needed some course corrections. We will give our scientists more freedom to innovate, more freedom to research. Newer ideas and out-of-the-box-solutions will become [the] order of the day. The new school of thought balances between current and future programs.

To access the full interview, please visit the link below

http://www.aviationweek.com/india