Dr Y Sreenivas Rao, Director-General (Naval Systems & Materials), superannuated from DRDO in 2024. A Graduate with distinction in Mechanical Engineering from JNTU, Hyderabad, he obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Osmania University. He is a Certified IPMA Level ‘A’ Project Director with extensive experience in managing large-scale, complex Projects, Programs, and Portfolios.

Dr Rao started his professional career at BHEL, Hyderabad manufacturing Steam Turbines, Centrifugal Compressors & Gas Turbines. He then moved to DRDO

Major achievements under his leadership at DRDO include:

1. Missile System: He was instrumental in the development, realization and induction of conventional warheads for Prithvi missile systems.
2. Missile Defence System: He was a core member of the team which prepared a road map towards building a complex, indigenous, operationally-viable Missile Defence System. As Project Director for Exo-Interceptor Missile systems, he led a team in configuration, development and realization of the state of the art ‘hit to kill’ interceptor missile systems.
3. Mission Shakti: For this prestigious project, he played a key role as Project Director for the development and realization of the Interceptor Vehicle. He & his team carried out the design of sub systems, realization, qualification-testing, integration and checkout.
4. Commissioning of Floating Test Range: Dr Rao has been instrumental in conceptualising, designing, realizing, conducting sea trials & commissioning of an all-electric mid-size naval vessel. He incorporated the necessary scientific elements for sea based trials of missiles & other systems.
5. Director, NSTL: Dr Rao spearheaded the activities for realization of best quality underwater weapons and systems. He led multi-disciplinary teams to successfully develop & demonstrate capabilities of complex technical systems & products with long-term sustainability and ease of operation and interface – through conceptualization, prototype building, simulation, tests and trials, production and integration with platform to meet requirements of the Navy.
6. Director General (NS&M): Dr Rao led the Technical Cluster of six Labs with three Naval Labs (NSTL, NPOL & NMRL) and three Materials Labs (DMRL, DLJ & DMSRDE). He implemented mechanisms for timely execution of projects and provided course correction through System Engineering analysis, Failure analysis, Mission planning & Risk mitigation methodologies. He steered various futuristic technologies such as underwater wireless sensor networks, fibre-optic & satellite based detection of targets, Desert Survival, Support & Warfare Technologies, Advanced Personal Protection Systems, stealth technologies for Naval & Airborne applications.
7. Design of Policy level framework at DRDO: Dr Rao contributed to policy level frameworks of DRDO. In fact, the recent report on ‘DRDOs Mechanism to support Industry’ evolved under his Chairmanship. He also played a crucial role in enhancing the DRDO-Industry-Academia relationship & supported various programs & collaborative activities.