Same Odisha district, village govt schools but global fame: One now leads India's missile programme, the other ranks among world's top scientists

Two government school students from Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district have brought international recognition to their home state through achievements in two very different fields. One now heads a crucial missile and strategic systems division at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), while the other has been listed among the world's top five per cent scientists in the SciRank Global Registry.

According to The New Indian Express, both Jagannath Nayak and Ashish Routray began their education in government primary schools located in villages in the same district before building careers that reached national and global levels.

Jagannath Nayak takes charge of DRDO's missile systems cluster

Dr Jagannath Nayak has been appointed Director General of DRDO's Missiles and Strategic Systems (MSS) Cluster with effect from July 1, 2026, according to an official release shared by ANI. He succeeds U Raja Babu following the latter's retirement.


Originally from Arakhakuda village in Jagatsinghpur district, Nayak studied at Rohia Primary School before continuing his education at SVM College, Jagatsinghpur, and Ravenshaw College, Cuttack. He later completed his master's degree and PhD in Electrical Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

With more than 35 years of experience in defence research and development, Nayak has worked extensively on indigenous defence technologies. As Director of the Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS), he led the development, field testing and transfer of technology of India's first Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system.

He also headed the indigenous development of Fibre Optic Gyroscope (FOG) technology at the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad. The technology is now used in Indian missiles, aircraft and main battle tanks. According to the official release, he is also recognised as the chief architect of FOG guidance for Akash missiles and DEW-based anti-drone systems.

Throughout his career, Nayak has received several honours, including the Aryabhata Award, DRDO Agni Award for Excellence in Self-Reliance, National Aeronautical Prize, Swarna Jayanti Award and the Nina Saxena Excellence in Technology Award. His LinkedIn profile identifies him as a Senior Scientist at DRDO.

Ashish Routray earns global scientific recognition

Another village in Jagatsinghpur, Chakuliapada under Jamugaon gram panchayat, has celebrated the achievement of Dr Ashish Routray, who has been recognised among the World's Top 5 per cent Scientists in the 2025 SciRank Global Registry.

Routray serves as Scientist-G and data strategist at the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, according to his LinkedIn profile.

His work focuses on numerical weather prediction, data assimilation, atmospheric sciences and extreme weather modelling. He has also worked on applying Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to improve weather forecasting, including the use of XGBoost models for predicting maximum and minimum temperatures across India.

According to The New Indian Express, his place in the SciRank Global Registry is based on the impact of his research publications and academic citations.

Villages celebrate the achievements

The two scientists have become a source of pride for their district, where both began their education in government schools before moving on to careers in advanced science and technology.

As per The New Indian Express, Chandrakant Nayak, younger brother of Jagannath Nayak, said, "From humble village classrooms to the frontiers of defence and climate science, their achievements have become a source of immense pride for Jagatsinghpur and Odisha."

The achievements of Jagannath Nayak and Ashish Routray highlight how students from rural government schools have gone on to make significant contributions to India's defence capabilities and global scientific research.