Eminent scientist Atul Dinkar Rane has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the BrahMos Aerospace Limited that manufactures the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. Rane is renowned for his decades of sustained R&D contributions in the indigenous design and development of mission critical Onboard Computers (OBC), hardware in loop simulation studies, systems analysis, development of mission software and avionics technologies for defence applications.

His pioneering contributions and techno-managerial leadership has been transformative for the successful development and induction of BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile into Armed Forces. Rane graduated in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Guindy Engineering College, Chennai and received his post-graduate degree in Guided Missiles from the University of Poona.

He joined DRDO in the year 1987 and started his initial career at Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) as System Manager and carried out simulation studies and established modular real-time simulation test mechanisms for the indigenously developed Surface to Air Akash Missile System.

Later as part of onboard computers division, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), he led the development of Onboard Mission Software for Agni-I missile and also established a unique integrated testbed facility for seamless test and evaluation of Onboard Systems for various missile projects. He was one of the core team members of BrahMos Aerospace right from its foundation as a Joint Venture with Russia. His significant contributions as programme manager, avionics and system integration for programme PJ-10.

He steered the feasibility studies, conceptual design, planning, development, testing, integration and certification of DRDO Onboard systems culminating in successful demonstration, induction and subsequent productisation of BrahMos, the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile system strengthening the arsenal of armed forces with a formidable weapon system.