Pessie Madan
Encyclopedia
Pessie Madan is a retired Brigadier of the Indian Army and an early leader in India’s high-technology research and development sector.
family in Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar
) on September 26, 1916. He and his family fled Burma just before its capture by the Japanese
during World War II
, returning to India
on the heels of the retreating British army
.
, earning a B.Sc. (Honours) in Chemistry followed by a Physics (Honours) degree. He was awarded the University's S. Ramanatha Reddiar Prize (Gold Medal) for highest standing in the Physics Honours Examination. Later, he completed a course in Electronic engineering
(Wireless and Radar) at Marconi
College in Essex, U.K.
in India, where he commanded a field unit in the turbulent Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. After the war, he continued as an officer of the Indian Army
, serving in the Corps of Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. He earned the rank of Brigadier
before retiring, at the age of 52. In 1975 he received the Padma Shri
for his services to the nation.
Upon retiring from the military, Madan began a career in India's rapidly growing high-technology sector, initially with the nation's premier defense electronics public sector company, Bharat Electronics Limited
(BEL). While there, he planned and supervised the construction of BEL’s Radar and Communications factory at Ghaziabad, and became its first General Manager. He later planned and supervised construction of Gujarat Communications and Electronics Limited, a public sector electronics company of the state of Gujarat. He served as its Chairman and Managing Director for seven years, and remained Chairman for an additional five years.
In 1980, Madan joined the Tata Power
Company, serving as an Advisor to what is now the largest private sector power utility company in India. In this capacity, he steered the company’s Mumbai
-based Research and Development activities away from consumer electronics, toward the development of high-tech weapon systems for the Defence Ministry. To manufacture these new systems, he set up a Tata Power production unit capable of precision engineering in Electronic City, Bangalore
. The unit, Tata Electronics Development Services, is now known as the Strategic Electronics Division. Madan served as an Advisor to Tata Power for seventeen years before finally retiring in 1997 at the age of 80 years.
Since retirement, Madan has turned to writing; in 2008, his autobiography "An Odyssey: My Reminiscences" was published by Konark Publishers.
Biography
Madan was born to a ParsiParsi
Parsi or Parsee refers to a member of the larger of the two Zoroastrian communities in South Asia, the other being the Irani community....
family in Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
) on September 26, 1916. He and his family fled Burma just before its capture by the Japanese
Japanese capture of Burma
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II took place over four years from 1942 to 1945. During the first year of the campaign, the Japanese Army drove British Commonwealth and Chinese forces out of Burma, and occupied the country, forming a Burmese administration with...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, returning to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on the heels of the retreating British army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
.
Education
Madan studied Chemistry at the University College RangoonUniversity of Yangon
Yangon University , located in Kamayut, Yangon, is the oldest and most well-known university in Myanmar. The university offers mainly graduate degree programs in liberal arts, sciences and law...
, earning a B.Sc. (Honours) in Chemistry followed by a Physics (Honours) degree. He was awarded the University's S. Ramanatha Reddiar Prize (Gold Medal) for highest standing in the Physics Honours Examination. Later, he completed a course in Electronic engineering
Electronic engineering
Electronics engineering, also referred to as electronic engineering, is an engineering discipline where non-linear and active electrical components such as electron tubes, and semiconductor devices, especially transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, are utilized to design electronic...
(Wireless and Radar) at Marconi
Marconi Company
The Marconi Company Ltd. was founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company...
College in Essex, U.K.
Career
In 1943, Madan was commissioned into the British ArmyBritish Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
in India, where he commanded a field unit in the turbulent Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. After the war, he continued as an officer of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
, serving in the Corps of Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. He earned the rank of Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
before retiring, at the age of 52. In 1975 he received the Padma Shri
Padma Shri Awards (1970-1979)
Padma Shri Award, India's fourth highest civilian honours - Winners, 1970-1979:...
for his services to the nation.
Upon retiring from the military, Madan began a career in India's rapidly growing high-technology sector, initially with the nation's premier defense electronics public sector company, Bharat Electronics Limited
Bharat Electronics Limited
Bharat Electronics Limited is a state-owned electronics company with about nine factories, and few regional offices in India. It is owned by the Indian Government & primarily manufactures advanced electronic products for the Indian Armed Forces.BEL is one of the eight PSUs under Ministry of...
(BEL). While there, he planned and supervised the construction of BEL’s Radar and Communications factory at Ghaziabad, and became its first General Manager. He later planned and supervised construction of Gujarat Communications and Electronics Limited, a public sector electronics company of the state of Gujarat. He served as its Chairman and Managing Director for seven years, and remained Chairman for an additional five years.
In 1980, Madan joined the Tata Power
Tata Power
Tata Power is India’s oldest and largest private sector power utility with an installed generation capacity of over 2977 MW.On the 22 March 2011 it has announced partnership with Sunengy an Australian firm, to build India's first floating solar plant....
Company, serving as an Advisor to what is now the largest private sector power utility company in India. In this capacity, he steered the company’s Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
-based Research and Development activities away from consumer electronics, toward the development of high-tech weapon systems for the Defence Ministry. To manufacture these new systems, he set up a Tata Power production unit capable of precision engineering in Electronic City, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. The unit, Tata Electronics Development Services, is now known as the Strategic Electronics Division. Madan served as an Advisor to Tata Power for seventeen years before finally retiring in 1997 at the age of 80 years.
Since retirement, Madan has turned to writing; in 2008, his autobiography "An Odyssey: My Reminiscences" was published by Konark Publishers.