Manohar Balaji Sarwate (15 March 1910 – 19 February 1967), was an Indian engineer who served as the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union from 1965 until his death in 1967.

He then moved to the United Kingdom and obtained a doctorate in radio engineering from the Liverpool University in 1938.

He continued his work on radar, rose to the rank of Squadron Leader, and was mentioned in dispatches in October 1945.

[4][5] He worked for the Civil Aviation Administration of the Government of India from 1946 to 1953, serving as director of communication responsible for the development of the aeronautical commercial services from 1948.

He is said to have told a colleague: "So long as there are starving people in the world we cannot commit Members of the Union to expenses which are not absolutely essential.