Vijaywada, January 20, 2008 (DefenceIndia News Service)

Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace A Sivathanu Pillai has been selected for the prestigious Dr Y Nayudamma Memorial Award for the Year 2007.

Pillai has been selected for his outstanding's contribution to India's defence research and development, P Vishnu Murthy, Founder and Managing Trustee of the Dr Y Nayudamma Memorial Trust, in a release in Vijaywada, on Monday.

The annual award was instituted by the trust based in Tenali (Andhra Pradesh) in 1986 in the honour of internationally renowned leather technologist Y Nayudamma.

The award would be presented to Pillai at a special function to be held at Tenali, the native town of Nayudamma, on February 2. On the occasion, the recipient would deliver the 16th Nayudamma memorial lecture on the theme 'India - An Emerging Strategic Power', the release added.

Pillai, who joined the DRDO at Hyderabad June 1986 as Programme Director for Integrated Guided Missile Development programme, has been the recipient of several awards and honours, including 'Padma Shri' in 2002.

He has received DRDO Scientist of the Year Award (1988), Hari Om Ashram Prerit Vikram Sarabhai Research Award (1991) Dr Davidson Frame Award USA (2001) and Osica International Award, Japan (2003).

Earlier recipients of the Award include Sam Pitroda, G Madhavan Nair, Kota Harinarayana, V K Aatree, R Chidambaram, R A Mashelkar, K Kasturi Rangan, Verghese Kurien, M G K Menon and M S Swaminathan, the release added.

(PTI)