Interview/ Suma Varughese, director general, Micro Electronic Devices and Computational Systems & Cyber Security, DRDO
Among the luminaries of India’s cutting-edge military scientific research and development, Suma Varughese was one of the scientists behind the success of India’s home-made airborne surveillance systems. She is now leading efforts for the development of indigenous compound semiconductors. In an interview, she told THE WEEK that breakthroughs with regard to compound chips are not just technical milestones, but also declarations of technological sovereignty. She also explains how a sensor senses. Edited excerpts:
Q/ When and how did your journey as a military scientist begin?
It was 1986. I had just cleared my bachelor's in science with distinction from Bangalore University in a year when the pass percentage was 5 per cent. The result filled me with confidence; I was certain I would pursue physics. I applied, but despite my marks, I didn't make the cut.
The disappointment stung. I felt lost, wondering what to do with all that energy and ambition. Then, I spotted an advertisement—the DRDO was recruiting fresh graduates for a unique programme. It wasn't just any job; it was an opportunity to pursue an MSc in computer science—a field barely anyone knew about back then—with full stipend that covered all my expenses and more.
I appeared for the written test, cleared the medical examination and faced a gruelling interview. When the selection letter arrived, it felt like the universe had handed me a better script than the one I had written for myself.
That day marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey. I stepped into the world of defence R&D and cutting-edge technology, never once looking back.
Q/ What have been the most interesting moments and biggest achievements in your scientific career?
The crowning achievement of my career has been the development of the Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control System. I joined DRDO's Electronics & Radar Development Establishment in 1989 and began working on airborne radars for helicopters. In 1999, the crash of the AWACS test-bed halted India's ambitious programme and left a void. Drawing on my decade-long experience with airborne platforms, I moved to the Centre for Airborne Systems to lead the system engineering vertical for Netra—a true ‘system of systems’ that integrated nearly nine complex payloads on a modified Embraer aircraft.
As a core member of the system engineering team, I drove the conceptualisation while wrestling with brutal constraints on power, weight, volume and cooling. Everything was a first for India. The heart of Netra is its Active Electronically Scanned Array radar—the country's first airborne AESA.
The result was spectacular. When Netra first flew operationally during the 2019 Balakot airstrikes, the radar's performance—validated across deserts, mountains, and coastal terrains—proved to be a game-changer for the Indian Air Force. That indigenous AESA in the sky remains the toughest, proudest milestone of my professional life.
Q/ Did you enter military R&D by chance or was it a deliberate choice?
The formal opening of short service commission for all (in non-medical branches) came in 1992. So, in 1986, the doors were indeed still largely closed by policy (not by design flaw, but by the prevailing norms of the time). Dr V.S. Arunachalam's vision was truly ahead of its time. As scientific adviser to the defence minister and DG, DRDO, in 1982 (after his long stint in the US, including at Carnegie Mellon), he pushed for bringing bright young talent into defence R&D, especially in areas like computer science, electronics and materials. Creating those early dedicated training slots or fellowships for women engineers and scientists in DRDO labs in the mid-1980s was groundbreaking.
I was one of the pioneers who walked through that narrow window he created. Being at the right place at the right time is part luck, but grabbing the opportunity, excelling, and then spending decades contributing to defence technology was rewarding.
Q/ How critical are compound chips for India's military R&D?
Military history is simple: whoever senses the battle space better, faster and farther dominates. Today, GaN-based radio frequency front-ends in radars deliver three to five times the range and resolution of legacy systems. Translation: ‘I see your aircraft long before you see me’. Tomorrow's compound semiconductor breakthroughs will push that horizon even further.
We started fabricating GaAs devices in the late 1990s. Early chips were fragile, under-performed and failed too often. Through relentless iteration and perfecting the growth recipe, SSPL/GAETEC delivered India's first space-qualified GaAs devices for the RISAT satellite programme—that was the moment Indian chips left the lab and touched the sky.
We have two red-letter days in March. On March 23, 2023, India's first high-power indigenous GaN transmit/receive module—unlocking state-of-the-art radars and electronic warfare systems—was developed. And then on March 25, 2023, we achieved a breakthrough in homegrown infrared detectors—ending decades of dependence, securing night vision, missile seekers and saving hundreds of crores in foreign exchange. These are not just technical milestones. They are declarations of technological sovereignty.
Q/ How do you make a sensor 'sense'? What is the basic technology behind it?
A sensor detects physical, chemical or environmental change and converts it into a precise electrical signal. For example, a photo detector turns a flicker of light into data. The better the sensor, the sharper the truth it reveals.
Q/ How critical are sensors in this era when autonomy of weapons systems and platforms defines modern warfare?
When we say autonomous, we mean vehicles that can penetrate deeper into contested zones with decisive advantage. This demands sensors that see, hear and feel across the entire electromagnetic and acoustic spectrum.
Just as our eyes, ears, skin and tongue together paint the full picture, multispectral sensors fused with onboard intelligence give our machines true situational awareness.
Q/ How are compound chips different from standard semiconductor chips?
Standard silicon chips are reliable workhorses—they power your laptop and dishwasher. Compound semiconductors (GaN, GaAs) are thoroughbred racehorses. They are custom-bred for extreme power, blazing frequency and scorching temperatures. For example, a GaN device switches power 300 times faster than silicon and laughs at heat that would kill ordinary chips.
Q/ How significant was the development of March 23, 2023?
Mastering indigenous GaN technology presented numerous challenges, with via-hole formation (for electricity and heat to pass through) proving elusive for years.
Through sustained diligence and dedication, scientists at the SSPL and engineers at the GAETEC foundry have successfully overcome these hurdles and established full-fledged GaN MMIC fabrication capability in the country.
This breakthrough not only strengthens India's strategic self-reliance in defence electronics but also positions the nation to cater to growing civilian demands in 5G/6G telecommunications and high-efficiency power electronics.
Q/ What is the future for Indian-made compound chips?
Compound semiconductors are indispensable for advanced infrared, quantum, communication and laser systems. India has now mastered indigenous mercury cadmium telluride technology, delivering broad-spectrum IR detectors proven in missile seekers and exploitable for space applications.
Concurrent programmes are advancing high-power lasers for directed-energy weapons, blue-green lasers for underwater/space communication, and precision sources for quantum magnetometers, atomic clocks and quantum communication.
The GaN breakthrough energised the ecosystem, reinforcing scientists' confidence that we can rapidly build the full stack of strategic sensors and quantum photonic technologies.