Renowned Scientist RN Agarwal, ‘Father of Agni Missiles’, Passes Away at 84

Hyderabad: Ram Narain Agarwal, a distinguished Indian missile scientist widely recognised as the ‘father of Agni missiles’, passed away in Hyderabad at the age of 84.

He succumbed to mild age-related ailments on Thursday, according to sources from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Agarwal, a Padma Bhushan awardee, played a pivotal role in India’s missile development, particularly as the director of the Agni programme and the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) in Hyderabad. He was instrumental in launching the Agni series of missiles, a significant component of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) initiated by former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

In honour of his contributions, the Telangana government has decided to conduct Agarwal’s funeral with police honours on August 17. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has instructed Chief Secretary Santhi Kumar to ensure the arrangements are made accordingly.