Lifetime Achievement Award 2003

The PARAM-10,000 supercomputer, capable of performing one trillion
mathematical calculations per second, stands out as a shining example of how ‘restrictions
and denials’ could be turned into impressive scientific gains. For the Pune-based
Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)–of which Dr Bhatkar was
the founder executive director–building this supercomputer was a dream that
came true.

So far, only the US and Japan have a proven capability to build
supercomputers PARAM-10,000. It has catapulted India into the ranks of the elite
nations that are in the rarefied world of tera-flop computing.

Not many would know about the struggle that went into the development of the
PARAM series of supercomputers. "It was only perseverance that saw us
through those times. A committed team is very important. Fortunately, the people
who worked on this mission worked for the love of technology," remembers Dr
Bhatkar.

Bhatkar decided that he wanted to be away from Delhi and chose Pune for the
project. "I do not belong to this city. But I believed that this would work
here," says Dr Bhatkar.

For three years, the team at C-DAC lived and breathed the project, at times
sleeping on tables in the labs. Well-meaning people questioned the authenticity
of the project and Dr Bhatkar had to prove that he was right.

Another major achievement Bhatkar is created with is GIST multilingual
technology project, which happened at C-DAC. Taking into account the fact that
India is a multilingual country of a billion people, where only 17% speak
English, Dr Bhatkar worked furiously on the GIST technology project, for all
Indian languages. The technology made possible the use and co-existence of all
Indian languages along with English on standard computers.

Dr Vijay Bhatkar Born October 1946 Education Bachelor of Engineering from Nagpur University, 1965 Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering from IIT, Delhi, 1972  Master of Engineering from MS University, Baroda, 1968 Current Position Chairman, ETH Research Lab; chairman, DishnetDSL; founder chancellor, India International Multiversity Career Path As director of Electronics Research and Development Center (ER&DC), Trivandrum, during 1980—87, he led the development of several products and systems leading to large-scale commercialization. Concurrently, as director of Keltron, he implemented some of the largest projects in electronics and IT such as computerization of Calcutta Metro, security systems for the government, simulators for defence, and distributed computer control systems for large power grids, power plants and process industries of India. As executive director of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) , the country’s national initiative in supercomputing, he led the development of PARAM supercomputers, GIST language technology and C-DAC’s well-known Advanced Computing Training School. Based on the PARAM series of Supercomputers, Dr Bhatkar built the National Param Supercomputing Facility, one of the largest supercomputing facilities in Asia. He also envisioned the International Institute of Information Technology for advanced education and research in IT.

When faced with a cash crunch to the tune of Rs 14 crore in 1998 (since the
funds came in late from the centre), Dr Bhatkar found himself in a tight fix for
developing PARAM 10,000. Scientists were leaving C-DAC for greener pastures with
great offers coming in from MNCs. This was when the Advanced Computing Training
School (ACTS) was founded at C-DAC, providing 5,000 software professionals to
the IT industry. ACTS was a raving success in the US and other advanced
countries. This was also in line with his vision: Bridge the digital divide,
create a knowledge-based society and make India an R&D hub for the world.
This is precisely what Dr Bhatkar is engaged in currently with his ‘Education
to Home’ mission as the chairman of the ETH Research Lab.

As a young man, Dr Bhatkar had a dream: "I will design a chip–India’s
first chip that will have a million transistors in it." Born in Muramba, a
small village with a population of about 300, in the state of Maharashtra, he
studied at a village temple school. The strong tradition of education at home
led to the creation of values that stood him in good stead for the rest of his
life. I could never understand why people complained about the lack of
facilities. We did not have access to good labs. But that did not stop us from
making our own equipment from medical waste. "The joy of one’s own
creation is unparalleled."

During his schooling period, Bhatkar was greatly influenced by the Sant Gadge
Maharaj–the saint who pioneered the cleanliness movement in Maharashtra.
Later, at C-DAC, he derived inspiration from Mata Amritanandmayi. His background
in electronics engineering apart, Dr Bhatkar was a vociferous reader, perhaps
one of the few students who browsed through all the books that had been
gathering dust at IIT Delhi for years. Mathematics, physics, biology, fine arts,
he delved deeply into all these subjects, using the vast knowledge to his
advantage in problem solving.

Having completed his PhD in 1972, Dr Bhatkar worked hard on familiarizing the
Indian industry with the benefits of computing. In 1987, he was vice-president
of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). He went on to become the director of
Electronic Research and Development Centre (ER&DC) Trivandrum during 1980—87.
He brought out the first color television in India, the microprocessor-based
traffic lights (still a familiar sight at signals). As executive director of
Keltron, India’s first state electronic development corporation that inspired
a chain of such state corporations in different states of India, he implemented
some of the largest projects in IT and electronics in the country.

Besides several e-governance projects, Dr Bhatkar is currently engaged in the
ETH mission. He has advented the concept of integral education by founding the
India International Multiversity (IIMV), a multi-campus university founded on
Indian knowledge system addressed to aspiring learners across the world through
IIMV. In consonance with his vision to attract students from advanced countries
to seek advanced education in India, Dr Bhatkar architected the International
Institute of Information Technology (I2IT). I2IT is planned as India’s largest
high-end education institutes with post graduate education and research
facilities for over 1,000 students.

Dr Bhatkar has edited eight books and 80 research publications in
supercomputing, artificial intelligence and distributed computer control,
optimal control and variational theory. He has won several accolades for his
pioneering contribution to IT in India, including the Padmashri in year 2000 and
the Maharashtra Bhushan award 1999—00.

Nanda Kasabe in Pune

"Joyful engagement in pursuit of knowledge is our destiny"

Today, all over the world, India is identified with information technology.
However, ICT contributes only 2.5% of our GDP and about 20% of our total
exports. Although our ICT industry has reached $20 billion, it’s a small part
of the $3 trillion world industry pie. But we have the fastest momentum in this
arena. I would like the knowledge technology to become the centerstage of India’s
development. By 2020, ICT, along with biotechnology (BT) and nanotechnology (NT)
should contribute 25% to India’s GDP, what agriculture contributes today.
About 50% of India’s exports should be from these knowledge-based
technologies.When we talk of the ICT industry, there is a wide-scale misconception that
while India is good in software, it’s China that’s at the centerstage in
hardware and we have little chance there. India’s poor show in hardware is not
due to her inherent weakness, but singularly due to government apathy and wrong
hardware manufacturing policies and poor infrastructure to support
manufacturing. We need to wake up and announce an enlightened framework for
hardware manufacturing. If this is done, I have no doubt that India will also
play a dominant role in electronics and telecom equipment manufacture too. We
can also create world-class virtual semiconductor foundries in India.

I believe that if we have to sustain the present growth rate of over 25% in
the first half of this century, then we will have to emerge as a technology and
product creator of this industry on a global scale rather than remaining merely
as a software development or ITeS provider. The good news is that India is
already emerging as the R&D hub in IT and the world IT giants are shifting
here their R&D outfits here. This is a paradigm shift indeed!

In order to become innovators over and above service providers and to
continuously push the value-added envelope forward, we will have to create great
institutions for education and research in ICT. It is in this context that I had
envisioned the creation of the International Institute of Information Technology
in Pune.

Let us not forget the problem of ‘digital divide’. IT has not
significantly impacted the common man of India; telecom has. Our computer and
Internet penetration is very poor. I had given a proposal to the government for
making available a standard multimedia PC at a cost of a good CTV. Internet
access has to become pervasive and affordable. That is why I had initiated
multilingual technology development at C-DAC to reach out to 93% population that
does not understand English. We have also initiated world’s largest computer
literacy program through ETH Research Lab and Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation
Ltd. Through this program, over 500,000 people have become computer literate in
the last 18 months. My vision is to have the largest number of computer literate
people of the world in India by 2010.

Finally, we must recognize that India’s true wealth is its knowledge-based
heritage and culture which began from the Vedic times, some 5,000 years back.
India was world’s first knowledge-based civilization. ‘Veda’ means
knowledge; not any knowledge, but the supreme knowledge, knowing which every
other knowledge is known. India’s ascent and ultimate destiny is this supreme
knowledge. And this message is embedded in India’s original name ‘Bharat’.
Bha means knowledge, rather enlightenment, and rat means the society which is
joyfully engaged in the pursuit of knowledge. That is the destiny of India.