Spending 33 years under the tutelage of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was an unmatched blessing for me. I started as his subordinate scientist at the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad in 1982, and earned his confidence to handle his mandate of developing civilian spinoffs of defence technologies for the benefit of the people. This unique work led to the development of an indigenous and affordable coronary stent in 1995 and the creation of the foundation for the Indian MedTech industry, valued at $11 billion in 2023. Dr Kalam made me the co-author of his autobiography, Wings of Fire, in 1999. It turned out to be a modern classic, selling more than two million copies with translations in 18 languages.
During the 2001 earthquake relief work in Kutch in Gujarat, Dr Kalam came into contact with the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. Impressed by their work, he sought an audience with Pramukh Swamiji. They met on June 30, 2001 in Delhi. During the discussion on how India could become a developed country, Pramukh Swamiji surprised Dr Kalam by telling him that any amount of material development is futile without the spiritual development of the people. Such pursuits have created immense problems and suffering elsewhere in the world. To everyone’s surprise, Pramukh Swamiji blessed Dr Kalam by putting his hand on his head and asking him to “lead India” in that direction.
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