Known as the "Missile Woman of India"
Dr. Tessy Thomas is a pre-eminent Indian scientist and the former Director General of Aeronautical Systems at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Renowned worldwide as the "Missile Woman of India," she made history as the first woman scientist to head a missile project in India. Her technical brilliance and leadership played a decisive role in achieving self-reliance in India's long-range strategic missile capabilities.
Born in April 1963 in Alappuzha, Kerala, Tessy was named after Mother Teresa. Growing up near the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station, she was fascinated by rockets from a young age. She pursued her B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from Government Engineering College, Thrissur, and later earned an M.Tech in Guided Missiles from the Institute of Armament Technology, Pune, where she emerged as a standout talent in a male-dominated field.
Science has no gender. Success in missile technology requires extreme precision, patience, and a mind that never accepts failure. I am proud that our Agni missiles represent the strength of a modern, self-reliant India.
