He became the 11th President of India on 25th July 2002.
He is known as "Missile Man" for his work in establishing Indias military missile program.
He started out as a newspaper vendor. He earned a degree in aeronautical engineering at a technology institute in Chennai (Madras). He joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Kerala in the 1960s as one of its first engineers. He played a major role in the centers evolution as a key hub of space research in India, helping to develop the countrys first indigenous satellite-launch vehicle. He worked for the Defence Research and Development Organization and the Indian Space Research Organization.
His father owned boats which he rented out to local fishermen.
