A Sivathanu Pillai is an Indian scientist who formerly served as Honorary Distinguished Professor^[2] at Indian Space Research Organisation (2015–2018)^[2][3] and an honorary professor at IIT Delhi in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (2015–2016)^[4] and a visiting professor at Indian Institute of Science (2014–2015).

He is the President of Project Management Associates^[5] and is the former chairperson of the board of governors of the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra.^[6]

He formerly served as Chief Controller of Research and Development from year 1996 to 2014 and held the rank of "Distinguished Scientist" from year 1999 to 2014 at the Defence Research and Development Organisation at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of India.^[7] He is also the founder-CEO and managing director of the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.^[8]

He also previously served as Vice President of International Project Management Association^[9] and as Special Secretary representing India in the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation.

Apathukatha Sivathanu Pillai was born in Nagercoil in Kanyakumari District, Tamilnadu on 15 July 1947. He completed his schooling at D.V.D. Higher Secondary School, Nagercoil,. He earned his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Thiagarajar College of Engineering^[10] in 1969.^[10]

In 1991, he attended the six-week Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He then earned PhD in Technology Management from Savitribai Phule Pune University in 1996.^[11] Pillai is a close and personal friend^[12] of Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam

Pillai currently serves as honorary distinguished professor^[2] at Indian Space Research Organisation and an honorary professor at IIT Delhi in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and a visiting professor at Indian Institute of Science.^[3][4]

He also formerly served as the chairperson of the board of governors of the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra.^[6]

Pillai joined the Defence Research and Development Service and has four decades of experience in ISRO and DRDO and has worked with Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan and APJ Abdul Kalam.^[13]

He joined DRDO in 1986 and was the Programme Director of IGMDP under the leadership of A. P. J. Kalam. He contributed to the successful development of SLV III as a core team member and to the evolution of PSLV configuration for ISRO.^[14]

In August 2007 he was given a third extension of his retirement date by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.^[15][16][17]

Pillai is regarded as the Father of BRAHMOS,^[18] the joint venture between India and Russia to design, develop, produce and market the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos and he is the chief executive and managing director of BrahMos Aerospace. In 2007, under his leadership as CEO of Brahmos Aerospace, the company bought Kerala Hitech Industries Limited. It has been then converted into Brahmos Aerospace Trivandrum Limited, the second missile making unit of BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited for a world-class missile facility with system integration and testing.^[19][20]

Sivathanu Pillai is a published author and coauthor of several books, research papers and journals.

• The Path Unexplored. Pentagon Press. 2014. ISBN 9788182747906.
• Thoughts For Change — We Can Do It. Pentagon Press. 2012. ISBN 9788182747074.
• Envisioning an empowered nation: technology for societal transformation. Tata McGraw-Hill Pub. Co. 2004. ISBN 978-0-07-053154-3.
• Sivathanu Pillai, A. (2005). Technology Leadership – A Revolution in the Making: defining the future visionary leaders. Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. ISBN 9780070583283.
• Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Engineering. World Scientific. 2010. ISBN 978-981-4277-92-1.
• Ocean Warfare: The Technology Waves. Manas Publications. 2006. ISBN 978-81-7049-239-9.
• Sivathanu Pillai, A. (2011). Revolution in Leadership – Building Technology Competence. Pentagon Press. ISBN 9788182745520.
• Nanotechnology Engineering in Nano- and Bio-Medicine: Devices and Applications. ISBN 9780470758632.

• Sieff, Martin (2009). Shifting superpowers: the new and emerging relationship between the United States, China, and India. Cato Institute. ISBN 978-1-935308-21-8.
• Frankel, Francine R. (1995). Bridging the nonproliferation divide: the United States and India. University Press of America. ISBN 978-0-8191-9943-0.
• Kalam, A P J Abdul (2010). Ignited Minds : Unleashing the Power within India. Pearson Education India. ISBN 978-81-317-2960-1.

• Official Website
• "Dr A Sivathanu Pillai : Official Biography". Defence Research and Development Organisation, India. Archived from the original on 30 June 2014.
• "Dr A Sivathanu Pillai". Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016.
• Pillars of BrahMos Archived 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine

• India primes for growth in defence electronics^{[permanent dead link‍]}
• "Padma Shri conferred on three DRDO scientists". Defence Research and Development Organisation, India. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
• Tipu Sultan the first to use missile technology
• Humans will soon inhabit other planets: Sivathanu Pillai
• Hypersonic missiles to replace ballistic missiles
• India should have its own computer operating system: Pillai
• Nanotechnology will change lives: Sivathanu Pillai