Successful Landing at
DRDO

At the end of a carefree and relaxed first year, it was
finally time to think about getting an internship. But, however important
landing an internship is in our minds, the laziness to fight for one overwhelms
it, and we almost always end up uploading our resumes at the last minute of the
last day. There was hardly any activity in the core aero profiles in the autumn
semester, but the situation changed dramatically with the onset of the spring
semester. There were a string of opportunities for us in the core field now.

Amidst all this hustle, I got selected for Defence Research
and Development Organization (DRDO), Agra, also known as ADRDE (Aerial Delivery
Research and Development Establishment). DRDO is one of the most sought-after
research platforms for core aerospace enthusiasts, and I was happy to get it.
As far as the selection is considered, it was heavily dependent on the resume.
I was excited to get involved in one of the “Top Secret” labs of the country to
explore where exactly we stood amongst our competitors when it comes to our
impenetrable and glorious defence. I wanted to grasp just how much we Aerospace
engineers contribute to our society.

Deployment at the
Internship

There we were, on the first day of the internship, in the
city of the Taj Mahal, passing by a life-size tank, making our way through the
entrances of ADRDE. We had to leave behind all electronic equipment, (mobile,
laptops, pen drives, etc.) at the gate, to ensure absolutely no leakage of the
highly covert data of the organization as demanded by them. Obviously, we had
our own human memory and an internet connection inside, but let’s keep that
aside for now. The environment was serene and lush with greenery which made it
the perfect atmosphere to focus. We were introduced to our guides and the
department where we were supposed to work. As a matter of fact, almost all of
our guides were IITians, and quite young too. There was absolutely no delay in
getting straight to the point. We were given a variety of topics that could be
of use to them, and it was totally up to us to choose which aspect of the
project we’d be interested in working. I certainly agree that 3rd year students
had a greater pool to choose from, as compared to us sophomores, but then I’d
rather make most use of my time here than complain.

The organization DRDO is spread out across the country performing
various tasks, each specialized in a particular field. DRDO Agra specializes in
aerial development. Till now, its primary area of focus had been developing
high grade parachutes deployed during re-entry of spacecraft and the ones used
by soldiers for skydiving. Work involved going through fabric research, drag
maximization while re-entry into the orbit and stabilizing the system and so
on. Their most recent effort had been of creating an Aerostat, which was
successfully achieved. Leaping a few steps forward: currently they are working
on an Airship, for the first time in India. On completion of project “Airship”,
we would be among the only few nations of the world who have accomplished this
feat, putting us at par with countries like USA, China, Germany, France and
Japan. THIS is the project for which we were chosen to work on.

Does this ring a bell? Mangalyaan, remember? It looks like
we have made it a habit to be among the elite. Being interested in core, the
idea of working on such a project captivated my heart with immense pleasure.
The work here captures everything from Structural Designing and Analysis to
CFD, Engines and Controls. We do a lot of literature surveys and gather
whatever highly sheltered knowledge we can find. The work culture here is
really friendly; simply put, it feels like you are working in a tech-team at
IIT with the seniors who have a great deal of knowledge to offer you. We can
approach any scientist without any hesitation, and it is almost guaranteed that
you wouldn’t be disappointed, doesn’t matter whether they are ranked B, C, or
D. And yes, these alphabets represent the seniority levels of the scientists.

Adverse Times

Now, remember folks, this is Agra, the abode of Akbar’s
Fatehpur Sikri and Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal, ranked highest amongst the great
seven wonders of the world, but still the city is not as glamorous and pompous
as it feels, or at least that’s what I think. The ‘summer’ of my summer internship
really hurts a lot. During the day the city temperatures soar as high as 45-46
degrees. As of now, when on one side, Mumbai is literally drowning, on the
other, there hasn’t been even a drop of relief in Agra yet. As if the heat was
not enough, we were not even provided any accommodation or stipend. Added to this,
living in a completely new city on your own, without any accommodation provided
and with the number of PGs available near ADRDE being very scarce; the
situation can push your buttons.

Now, for what’s really important – food! We miss our insti’s
food and canteens. Seriously. The government food provided in the DRDO campus
is horrible. We can’t leave the campus till evening, once we enter in the
morning, so eating outside is also not an option. As far as the rest of city is
concerned, there are quite a few well-managed food outlets, but always, always,
always remember to ask the size of the serving; you either receive too less or
too much.

It is not out of the ordinary in government institutions for
people to misuse the freedom provided to them. Sometimes we feel that, we
interns are the ones toiling harder than “some” of the employees. Some
government employees often take their freedom to a whole new level, by choosing
to do next to nothing. Punctuality is a myth here; no one believes in it.

There is a burning issue of lack of proper infrastructure
which no one can deny. These scientists don’t have access to internet on their
PCs. Yes, you heard it right – No Freakin’ Internet! This was done in order to
prevent anyone from hacking their system. They have intranets, however. They
also have common PCs in each department with access to internet. Originally,
all five of us interns were supposed to work on the same single PC of our
department, though later on we managed to acquire other PCs with some help. The
rule of not being allowed to take information in and out of the campus makes it
difficult to do any work in our rooms. Later, though, they themselves granted
us the freedom to come whenever we wished and report to them.

Take-off, journey and
beyond

As far as the work profile is concerned, it is definitely
fascinating and innovative, and there is a lot to learn. The youngsters here
are full of energy and knowledge, and so are the seniors. What is required is a
new source of motivation for the seniors, as it is quite natural that in
thriving to achieve new knowledge every day, one is bound to face many
obstacles and difficulties, which can sometimes drain one’s motivation. Also, a
much needed upgradation of the workplace is necessary to keep up with the
world, and retain its status as a pioneer of the nation in defence R&D.
This is a phase of transition, and visionaries are needed.

The end of the internship is nearing at a much more
accelerated pace than with what it had begun, and little did I then expect this
place to become like a home for me.

For those looking to work at DRDO, I’ll say, “Your journey
and experience shall be an enlightening and a memorable one, just as mine was.”

This internship article was written by Manish Kumar Nayak,
and first published on the IITB Student Blog InsIghT IITB in July 2015.