Abdul Kalam, father of India's missile programme, dies at 83

The then Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam speaks during the presentation ceremony of the 39th Jnanpith Award in New Delhi August 10, 2006. REUTERS/B Mathur/Files

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Former Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, considered the father of the country's missile programme, died on Monday in hospital at the age of 83, a doctor said.

Popularly known as "Missile Man," Kalam led the scientific team that developed missiles able to carry India's nuclear warheads. He became a national folk hero after helping oversee nuclear tests in 1998 that solidified India's status as a nuclear weapons state. India's first atomic test was in 1974.