A Scientist Who Inspired a Generation: Dr Manu Korulla at Saliendo 2K25
By Global TV News Desk +91 98441 82044
Peermade, August 2, 2025:
Mar Baselios Christian College of Engineering & Technology (MBCET), Kuttikkanam, came alive with pride and excitement during its convocation ceremony Saliendo 2K25. The air buzzed with hope as students, parents, faculty, and well‑wishers gathered to celebrate the graduates of 2025.
The highlight of the day was the presence of Dr Manu Korulla, Director General (Resource & Management) at DRDO, serving as the Chief Guest. With over 36 years in India’s defence research, he is respected for his work on marine platforms, submarines, underwater systems, and guided weapons. His awards include DRDO Scientist of the Year 2017 and the Sea Heroes Award 2023
Dr Korulla spoke with warmth and humility. He began by telling the graduates how fortunate they are to finish their studies in a rapidly advancing India. He painted a vivid picture: in decades past, India relied on other countries for submarines and aircraft. Today, India builds them at home. His pride was clear as he shared how the nation has developed nuclear submarines using ninety percent Indian parts and built systems like the BrahMos missile through hard work and local talent.
He spoke also of his own journey. He studied Naval Architecture at Cochin University, earned his MS and PhD in Hydrodynamics from IIT Kharagpur, and studied project management in the United States. At DRDO’s Naval Science & Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam, he led teams working on marine and autonomous sea vehicles.
Dr Korulla urged students to be thoughtful and wise. Solving problems isn’t enough. You must pick the right problems to solve. He spoke of India’s vision to become a thirty‑trillion‑dollar economy by 2047. That requires strong infrastructure, smart minds, and ethical leadership. He reminded the graduates that they are now part of that great mission.
He also touched on a modern challenge: artificial intelligence. He said tools like ChatGPT can give quick answers, but they do not understand people. Engineers must go beyond this. They must consider the human side of solutions and how those solutions affect society.
A striking part of his speech was his reflection on identity. He shared that every person carries four identities:
- Where they come from
- What they have studied
- What they do
- The expectations they have; from themselves and from others
This fourth identity, he said, is most powerful. It shapes purpose and direction.
Dr Korulla ended with a story from his childhood. In school, he won a prize for a speech titled “If I Become Prime Minister”. When asked what a Prime Minister really does, he had no answer. His father later taught him that a true leader must understand and respond to the dreams of the people. That lesson stayed with him. He encouraged the students to become dream builders, not just pursue jobs.
Also present at the ceremony was His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, President of the college and the Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan, who oversees the Governing Board of MBCET. His blessings added a spiritual strength to the occasion.
The convocation was live‑streamed and watched by alumni and well‑wishers across India and abroad. It was a proud moment for MBCET, an institution founded under the guidance of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and known for blending academic excellence with moral values.
By the end of the day, the graduating class walked away not just with degrees, but with a sense of purpose. Dr Korulla’s words had planted seeds of courage, vision, and responsibility. On that day, a scientist did more than deliver a speech. He inspired a generation.
