“IISC, HAL, the first hydroelectric dam and much more: How the Wadiyar kings of Mysore, not Nehru, sparked India’s science and technology renaissance”, Opindia, May 30, 2025:
“Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on 27th May declared that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the founder of HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited). Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and Mysore (Mysuru) royal descendant Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, however, countered this claim, both in public forums and online.
He stated that Bharat’s first prime minister had no involvement in the establishment of HAL and emphasized that the credit should rightfully go to industrialist Walchand Hirachand and the Kingdom of Mysore.
“The Deputy Chief Minister said it is Nehru’s contribution. We need to clarify that. In 1940, Walchand Hirachand approached many kings with the idea of an aircraft development system. Only the King of Mysore agreed. The Government of Karnataka, back then the Government of Mysore, gave around 700 acres of land. The initial investment came from the Government of Mysore. The king decided not to give the share to anyone else.” he pointed out on 28th May and highlighted that the roots of HAL were very local……”
Read the full article at Opindia.com
