Innovators: 9 Indian Women Engineers Who Made History

These are just a few of the many pioneering women engineers who have made history in India. They have paved the way for other women to pursue careers in engineering and have inspired many people with their achievements.

• A. Lalitha (1919-2000) was the first woman engineer in India. She graduated from the College of Engineering, Guindy, in 1943 with a degree in civil engineering. She worked as a design engineer in the Madras Port Trust for many years, and she was also a professor at the Women’s Engineering College in Madras.

• Leelaamma George Koshie (1922-2017) was the first woman electrical engineer in India. She graduated from the University of Madras in 1944 with a degree in electrical engineering. She worked as a design engineer in the Indian Railways for many years, and she was also a professor at the Women’s Engineering College in Madras.

• P.K. Thressia (1925-2007) was the first woman mechanical engineer in India. She graduated from the College of Engineering, Guindy, in 1947 with a degree in mechanical engineering. She worked as a design engineer in the Indian Railways for many years, and she was also a professor at the Women’s Engineering College in Madras.

• Rajeshwari Chatterjee (1928-2016) was the first woman mining engineer in India. She graduated from the Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad in 1951 with a degree in mining engineering. She worked as a mining engineer in the Indian government for many years, and she was also a professor at the Indian School of Mines.

• Anuradha TK (born 1952) is a space engineer who made history as the first woman satellite project director at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). She played a key role in the development of the INSAT-2B satellite, which was launched in 1992.

• Shakuntala Bhagat (born 1947) is a civil engineer who is known for her work on bridge design. She is the founder of Quadricon, a company that has designed over 200 bridges worldwide. She is also the inventor of the Quadricon Modular Bridge System and the Bhagat Unishear Connectors.

• Ila Ghosh (born 1939) is a chemical engineer who is known for her work on water treatment. She is the former director of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in Nagpur. She is also a recipient of the Padma Shri award, India’s fourth-highest civilian award.

• Sudhira Das (born 1940) is a textile engineer who is known for her work on yarn spinning. She is the former director of the Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) in Mumbai. She is also a recipient of the Padma Shri award, India’s fourth-highest civilian award.

• Tessy Thomas (born 1963) is a missile engineer who is known for her work on the Agni-II missile. She is the first woman to head a missile project in India. She is also a recipient of the Padma Shri award, India’s fourth-highest civilian award.