6 reviews for Vikram Sarabhai
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Vikram Sarabhai
by Amrita Shah
Description:
Vikram Sarabhai (1919??”71), the renaissance man of Indian science, visualized the impossible and often made it happen.
Founder of India’s space programme, Vikram dreamed of communication satellites that would educate people at a time when even a modest rocket programme seemed daring; of huge agricultural complexes serviced by atomic power and desalinated sea water. He envisioned research technology that would free Indian industry from foreign dependence, and of a world-class management college that would train managers for the public sector.
Amrita Shah’s Vikram Sarabhai: A Life is the story of this dynamic visionary. Born into an immensely wealthy and politically conscious business family, Vikram had an early understanding of the power of money and the problems of a newly independent nation, to which he married a deep love for physics. Between 1947 and 1971, he built a thriving pharmaceutical business, conducted research into cosmic rays, set up India’s first textile research cooperative, ATIRA, the first market research organization, ORG, the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad and the dance academy Darpana. He also headed the Atomic Energy Commission and laid the foundations for the world’s first entirely peaceful space programme. Good-looking, charismatic, married to the glamorous classical dancer Mrinalini and closely associated with the most influential figures of his time??”C.V. Raman, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Homi Bhabha, Bruno Rossi, Louis Kahn and John Rockefeller III??”Vikram seemed to have led a charmed existence. Yet, his personal life was troubled and his strong resistance to India’s move towards a nuclear explosion in the late 1960s put him at odds with powerful lobbies and fellow technologists. Amrita Shah delves into the life and mind of this fascinating, complex individual. This is a vivid and intimate portrait of a multifaceted genius who died young, but whose vision still drives India’s ambitious space programme and inspires India.
About The Author
Amrita Shah is a journalist and writer. She has worked for Time magazine, edited Debonair and Elle and been a contributing editor with The Indian Express. She is the author of Hype, Hypocrisy & Television in Urban India, Vikram Sarabhai: A Life and Ahmedabad: A City in the World. She is an alumna of the Institute for Public Knowledge, New York University and Visiting Faculty at the Centre for Contemporary Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
Skryf Review
“Excellent Reading”
Krushali
This is the story of a man who came to the helm in India’s formative days when the fledgling new born nation was writing all books from scratch and trying to weigh its priorities and still vying for a prominent spot in the international diaspora. Born with silver spoon and yet being grounded and humble, Vikram would done many hats. Scientist, businessman, entrepreneur, administrator and above all the nation builder. The book chronicles the young genius’ childhood, unconventional and value ridden up-bringing, involvement in family business, passion and pursuit of science all culminating into an array of institutions and individuals that bless us with their presence in today’s time. Perhaps it was science that had brought into him the relevance of collaboration in all endeavors yet he remained and ardent believer in having indigenous efforts and components in whatever he set to do.Before reading the book I had known him as founder of IIMs and ISRO. It goes deeper than that. It turned out that he had planted many seeds and liked to keep many balls in the air at once. Upon reading the book, one wonders how he could manage so much and yet have time for his family. The most controversial aspects of his life, in my opinion, was his role in department of atomic energy. While he never advocated openly, the desire of making atomic bomb, he never tried to silence the dissidence arising in his own department on the making of A bomb. Maybe he feared the US backlash that would have on his beloved space program or maybe he wanted to first attain the posture of a martial nation which had the capability of not only making nuclear weapons but also delivering them with a vast array of radars, planes and submarines. Live Nehruvian fashion, he stuck to the role of ambiguity and let the matter drag into political realm from the scientific realm.
His death was peaceful and even in that he left a lesson. He died while on work related tour. He slept peacefully after hectic day’s work never to wake up again.
Kaushal
The story of the father of India’s space programme , the book amply highlights the many hats that Dr.Sarabhai wore in his illustrious career which was unfortunately cut short in its prime . The book is also an insightful look into the social stratum of the elite educated Parsees of British and post independence India , to which Dr . Sarabh.What’s really commendable is the man management maturity and awareness that Dr. Sarabhai possessed at a time when even in the the West , Marvin Bower was still building the procession up from scratch at McKinsey . It really speaks about that one single quality of Dr . Sarabhai which ultimately defines him to me , to this day … farsightedness. Dr. Sarabhai was many things to many people but above all he was a VISIONARY , who dreamt of a better India and in his mild mannered style gave form to his vision in a very realistic manner .
Jasmine
This book gives an incredible insight into the mind of Vikram Sarabhai and how his long term vision helped setup some of the finest institutions and initiate the space research programme of India. His great contribution to the nuclear programme of India at BARC was something I was unaware of before reading the book, and his stand on nuclear policy is very interesting. The only negative I find is that the flow is too haphazard and at times it feels like you are running from one topic to another.
Ira
For the past few months I have been reading on post-independent India’s scientific endeavours, and stumbled upon references to Vikram Sarabhai. I was fortunate to attend a talk by Amrita Shah, and until then I was not aware of the biography of Vikram Sarabhai that she authored.One would marvel at an early age decision of Sarabhai not to participate in the Indian freedom movement, focus on career, and plan for long-term contributions for India. Undistracted by the Indian freedom movement, and the World War-II, he continued pursuing his scientific interest in the cosmic rays.
He was also a successful entrepreneur who not only ran his family businesses successfully but also ventured into the areas of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food products etc. He believed in competitive markets, fiercely advocated pluralism, and equality.
The book also gives insights into his vision, leadership, and execution style. The way he spotted new talent, recruited them and inspired to deliver have lessons for everyone.
As an entrepreneur, scientist, architect of Indian space programme, visionary of advancing Indian atomic energy applications, promoter of science and arts, I think he was more than Elon Musk (though this comparison is unwarranted).
The book delves into the personality of Vikram Sarabhai and what he has gone through — personally and professionally to establish institutions of scientific importance. Though it is not an unputdownable, it keeps you intrigued and engaged throughout. An insightful read and great work by the author.
Kahaan
The inspiration for this book having been provided to me by Dr. Kalam in Wings of Fire , I might have approached the book with a bit of positive bias towards Dr. Sarabhai , but at the end of the reading , if anything , his position only got more esteemed in my eyes . Dr. Sarabhai was a man of diverse traits , a man of science who believed in ” the education of the senses first ” , and married a prominent dancer; the man who then moved away from science into the realms of a then virtually non existent professional management role , laying the foundation of management education in India in the process ; and who ultimately left his biggest legacy as modern India’s first and perhaps , till date , most prolific institution builder . What brings alive Prof Sarabhai is the portrayal of the finer humanistic straits of his character , which are all captured in a glimpse in the cover photo of the book ; that innocuous smile , warm eyes and friendly posture are all further elaborated in the writing in the book . And that is what really endears Dr. Sarabhai to even someone like me , who unfortunately did never get the chance to be contemporaneous with him .