Defence Institute of Advanced Technology

Founded in 1952 by Patrick Blackett, a Nobel Laureate in Physics (1948), and Daulat Singh Kothari, a distinguished figure honored with Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, the institution originally named Indian Armament Studies underwent subsequent renaming to become the Institute of Armament Technology and eventually evolved into the present Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT).

Patrick Blackett, a Nobel Laureate in Physics, brought his expertise as a military expert from the Royal British Navy. Invited by Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, during the 1950s, Blackett played a pivotal role in the 'Indianization of the military.' His contributions were not only recognized through accolades like the Royal Medal from the Royal Society in 1940 and the American Medal for Merit in 1946 but also reflected in the naming of the Physics department building at Imperial College London as the Blackett Laboratory.

Daulat Singh Kothari, also honored with Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, served as the Scientific Advisor to the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Widely acknowledged as an outstanding physicist and educationalist, Kothari is often regarded as the Architect of Defence Science in India. His impact is evident in the establishment of numerous DRDO labs across the country, including the Naval Dockyard Laboratory (later renamed Naval Chemical and Metallurgical Laboratory), Mumbai, Indian Naval Physical Laboratory, Kochi, Centre for Fire Research, Delhi, Solid State Physics Laboratory, Delhi, Defence Food Research Laboratory, Mysore, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Chennai, Directorate of Psychological Research, New Delhi, Defence Electronics Research Laboratory, Hyderabad, Scientific Evaluation Group, Delhi, and Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory, Chandigarh. Notably, D.S. Kothari played a crucial role in the establishment of the UGC (University Grants Commission) and NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training).