NCPOR was honoured to host Colonel (Dr.) D. P. K. Pillay, Shaurya Chakra (Retd.).

“The Making of India and the Role of Oceans in Modern Indian History.” A decorated veteran, strategic affairs expert, and humanitarian, Col. Pillay is widely known for his selfless gallantry in Manipur, where he prioritized evacuating wounded children despite sustaining critical injuries—an act that earned him the Shaurya Chakra and a lasting bond with the local community.

Over a distinguished 29-year career, Colonel Pillay served in the Indian Army, the Ministry of Defence, the National Security Council Secretariat, and the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. His talk highlighted how oceans are not merely geographical boundaries, but strategic lifelines central to modern history and national development—offering deep resonance for NCPOR’s scientific mandate across the Polar Regions and the Southern Ocean.