Eminent Scientist Ankathi Raju has been appointed as Director, Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad and assumed charge as Director of the Indian missile development laboratory. Raju received a BE in Mechanical Engineering from Osmania University College of Engineering, Hyderabad and M.Tech. in Aeronautical Engineering (Propulsion) from IIT Bombay.

An official release stated that over the last three decades, Raju significantly contributed to the successful demonstration of a solid fuel ducted ramjet propulsion system, design & development of liquid propulsion systems for missiles, including Prithvi, Agni, PAD, PDV, Mission Shakti, reaction control systems, interceptors of Air Defence and design and development of Axial flow compressors.

As the Director of Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) laboratory, he led the design and development of the Enhanced Rocket System, Guided Pinaka, and the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System.

Raju is the recipient of the DRDO Agni Excellence Award for Self-Reliance and Best Scientist Award from the Government of Telangana.