Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre is an Indian scientist and the former head of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). He is an awardee of the Padma Vibhushan Award. Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre is the former Advisor to the Defence Minister of India, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), which is among the top defence scientists in India along with people like P Rama Rao, who were the key scientists in setting newer challenges and goals in the defence hemisphere of India. Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre joined Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory in 1980 and became its Director in a quick span in the year 1984.

Early Life of Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre
Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre was born in 1939 in Bengaluru. He completed his BE in Electrical engineering from UVCE, Bangalore then part of University of Mysore in 1961 and a Master`s Degree from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, in 1963. He was awarded a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Canada, in 1967.

Career of Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre
Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre worked as a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Technical University of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada, and worked till 1980. He was a Visiting Professor at IISC till 1977. In 1980, Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre joined DRDO at the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Cochin, and became its Director in 1984. He was later appointed as Chief Controller (R&D) of DRDO. In February 2000, Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre replaced the former President of India, Abdul Kalam as the Director General of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and SA to RM, serving as a Scientific advisor to the then Defence Minister, George Fernandes. He retired in October 2004 and was replaced by Dr. M. Natrajan.

Award Received by Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre
Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre was awarded the Padma Bhushan Award, in 2000 by the then President K. R. Narayanan. He was bestowed with Padma Vibhushan award, the second highest civilian award in India in the year 2016.