Thiruvananthapuram, May 13 (IANS): Former Chairman of ISRO and eminent scientist G. Madhavan Nair said that technology must be used for the upliftment of society.

Speaking at a webinar jointly organised by the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, Tamil Nadu chapter and Chennai based think tank Center for Policy and Development Studies, Nair said that India has advanced manifold in technology and added that the nuclear testing conducted at Pokhran on May 11, 1998 was a milestone in the country's technological advancement.

"The country has gone ahead in agriculture production following the advancement of technology. The whole of India was connected to television following the development of satellite technology. Former President and prominent scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was the guiding force behind the SLV launch," said Nair, who lives in the state capital.

The senior scientist said that the recent studies in the disaster management and weather forecasting has helped the country to wade off several natural calamities.

National convenor of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, R. Sundaram said that India has turned the Covid-19 pandemic into an opportunity.

"Indian cities like Tirupur, Jalandhar and other towns have turned into major hubs for making PPE kits and N95 masks and the country has reached, a stage that it can export these products," said Sundaram.