(Image source from: })

J Manjula, an alumna of the Osmania University and an electronics and communications engineer, is the first woman director of the DRDO's Defense Avionics Research Establishment (DARE). "It's a very responsible position and a great opportunity that DRDO has provided me. I hope this inspires more women to take up science," she said.

J Manjula is born in 1962 in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore district to the high school principal J Sriramulu. Manjula had fought many odds when she was a student, her parents were encouraging. She struggled to make her way through, joined DRDO in 1987 and served in the Defence Electronics Research Laboratory, Hyderabad, for over 26 years in the area of integrated electronic warfare.

She has designed and realized faster signal acquisition receivers, high power RF systems, responsive jammers, controller software, etc. for various systems inducted into the Army, Navy, Air Force and Paramilitary. She is the recipient of the DRDO Award for Performance Excellence, Scientist of the Year 2011, and India Today Woman Summit Award, 2014.

She has assumed charge from the distinguished scientist and Director General Dr K D Nayak, who was holding Additional charge as Director General Electronic & Communication Systems, DRDO said in a press release.

By Premji