Hyderabad: Dr. G Satheesh Reddy, the former Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister and ex-Chairman of DRDO, was the chief guest at an international conference titled “Bridging Heritage: Vedic Knowledge and Modern Technologies.” The two-day conference aimed to connect ancient wisdom with modern technological advancements.
The event was organized by Icon Bharat and concluded on Sunday. Several prestigious institutions collaborated for the conference, including BrahMos, DRDO, DSIR, the University of Hyderabad, Aspire University, TBI University, BITS Pilani, Atal Incubation Centre, and T-Hub.
Dr. Satheesh Reddy highlighted the enthusiastic response from delegates, which he said reflects a growing interest in learning from the past. He explained that in the last decade, India has made significant progress in identifying and producing new materials. According to him, many well-proven technologies from Vedic sciences, especially in materials and cryptography, remain valuable even today. He pointed out that the SRIVT research has produced materials that are more efficient than those made using modern methods.
Dr. Reddy urged ABS Sastry and other research scientists to focus on identifying and working with these ancient materials to produce them on a larger scale. He emphasized the potential benefits of blending Vedic knowledge with contemporary science.
Prof. V Ramgopal Rao, Vice Chancellor of BITS Pilani and former Director of IIT Delhi, praised ABS Sastry’s work. He mentioned that DRDO has already utilized some of the materials developed by Sastry for strategic applications. Prof. Rao expressed his willingness to collaborate with Sastry to design courses at BITS Pilani that would encourage more people to explore the fusion of ancient and modern sciences.
ABS Sastry shared his experiences, stating that IIT Madras tested materials made using traditional methods and found them superior to those produced by modern techniques. He mentioned that he developed a nano zinc oxide using a Sloka from herbal elements, proving that Vedic sciences are advanced rather than ancient. Sastry revealed that his work at IIT Madras earned him the nickname “Nano Sastry” because he provided solutions for every nano material requirement.
Srinivas Rao, CEO of T-HUB, also spoke at the event. He noted the growing interest in ancient Indian sciences, partly due to a rising nationalistic narrative. Rao commended Sastry for overcoming skepticism and ridicule, stating that while there is a lot of science in India’s heritage, the challenge remains how to codify it effectively.
