``I consider sanctions as a challenge for Indian science and technology...it will prompt more efforts towards indigenisation,'' Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Dr R Chidambaram said in the city today.

He was speaking at a function jointly organised by the South Indian Education Society (SIES) and The Indian Express to confer lifetime achievement awards on three of the country's finest scientific minds -- Defence Research Development Organisation chief A P J Abdul Kalam, Indian Space Research Organisation chairman K Kasturirangan and Dr Chidambaram.

At the packed Sivaswamy auditorium in Chembur, Kalam declared that the country did not need foreign computers for defence and scientific establishments.

``We do not need imported computers for designing our missiles oraircraft,'' he said, adding that the DRDO-developed Pace 32 Supercomputer was 20 times faster than the US Cray XMP. Not only that, it came at half the cost and could be used for designing missiles and aircraft. ``We have flooded our labs with Indian built computers for designing our systems,'' said Kalam.

In yet another breakthrough, an Indian scientist recently designed a micro-processor with nearly five lakh transistors. This would be the workhorse for all the on-board computers of missiles, aircraft, tanks and electronic warfare systems, explained Kalam. At an informal discussion with mediapersons later, when asked if sanctions would hit the missile programme, Kalam quipped, ``We will send a missile to shoot down sanctions.'' However, he did not say when the first flight of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) -- which has been hit hardest by US sanctions -- will take off.

Chidambaram said that the Pokharan tests were an excellent example of synergy between various scientific institutions and theIndian Army. ``I hope this synergy will be extended to other institutions for the benefit of various developmental programmes,'' he said, adding that US sanctions would not affect any research programme.

He cited the instance of a nuclear power plant in Rajasthan, which was meant to be set up with Canadian collaboration. After India's first nuclear test in 1974, the Canadians simply walked away from the project. ``We took it up as a challenge and completed the power plant indigenously,'' he said. ``The India of today is a much stronger country, sanctions can be beaten by synergy,'' he added.

Exports will also help in offsetting curbs, said the AEC chief. India recently sold 10 tonnes of heavy water to South Korea for 20 million US dollars, he added. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kasturirangan highlighted India's superiority in some areas of space transportation systems.

Meanwhile, the scientists seem to have become celebrities in their own right. Members of the audience, be it businessmen, bureaucrats,housewives or teenagers, flocked to the trio for autographs. The scientists could be seen answering queries even as they diligently signed their names on each book.

But it was also evident that they were only too keen to keep a low profile. In fact, Kalam visibly winced on-stage when an energetic speaker placed him in the league of astronomer Aryabhatta.

And, in a rare gesture, Kasturirangan, an alma mater of the SIES school and college, touched the feet of his teacher who presented him the lifetime achievement award. The ISRO chairman also presented a model of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) to his school on the occasion.