In September 1948, K. S. Ramachandran was on a train to Madras, anxious about his uncertain future. After securing a BSc. Honours degree in Physics, he had obtained a first-class certificate in wireless technology in Mumbai with the intention of pursuing a science-based career. But when his instructor refused to give him a letter of recommendation, he knew he could not become an aircraft navigator.
At his father's behest, Ramachandran...