There's a lot to know about India's Missile Woman, Dr Tessy Thomas. The self-made missile engineer rose from humble beginnings in Kerala and managed to break out of the glass ceiling that plagued other women in her field.
With only an undergrad degree (in electronics) and a couple of years as an intern under her belt, she was handpicked by DRDO — India's equivalent to NASA — at the age of 25 to lead the organisation’s largest missile program: Agni V.
Early Days
Tessy Thomas was born in 1963 in Alappuzha a municipality in Kerala, to Syrian parents. Her parents named her after Mother Teresa.
Her father suffered from a stroke when she was at the young age of 13 and was paralysed.
Her mother worked in the education industry as a teacher and also played the role of the homemaker back at home.
Her Education
Thomas went on to study at the University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, where she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electronics and communication.
However, Thomas was more interested in developing new technologies than working at a job. She even rejected an offer from her brother-in-law who was the CFO of a software company. Instead, she opted for a PhD.
In 1984, Thomas applied to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and got selected as an intern. While at ISRO, she worked on the design of satellites and launch vehicles.
Her Career
Her career spans over three decades and has taken her from being a scientist at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to serving as the Director of Physical Research Laboratory until 2012 when she was appointed as Advisor to Defence Minister to pursue missile programs.
After spending two years at ISRO, Thomas joined Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) — India's equivalent to NASA — in 1986.
There she consulted on the Agni Missile program which could carry nuclear warheads. While at DRDO, she helped to design a range of missiles and launch vehicles for the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Of course, Thomas didn't just design rockets. She also researched GPS technologies. She was one of the first engineers in India to develop technology for radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags which were used throughout the world as identification tags for millions of products.
And because her expertise was in electronics, she expanded her portfolio with communications technologies such as infrared communication devices used by aircraft and satellites.
Not only did Thomas innovate new technologies but she was also an effective manager. In her first job at ISRO, she coordinated and managed a team of 150 engineers and in her tenure at DRDO, she managed teams of thousands.
How She Broke The Glass Ceiling
Dr Tessy Thomas was not only a multi-talented engineer but also a trailblazer for women in technology. In 2014, Thomas became the first woman to be inducted into the Aeronautical Society's Space Pioneer Hall of Fame — an honour that has been given to only five other Indians before her. While accepting the award, she was reported saying, 'I am happy to be associated with people who have done significant work in space technology from India… I never had any negative thoughts about being a woman. I always thought that being a woman, I can do this job as well. But having said that, it is not just a job. It was very important for me to have the opportunity to be at the forefront of this work.'
Even though Thomas achieved so much during her career in space research and development, she is protective of her identity as a 'missile woman'. She refuses to call herself either a missile scientist or an engineer. Instead, a woman who has worked on missiles.
The country's booming IT industry has made it easier for women to enter this field, with several highly attractive positions being offered.
Achievements, Awards & Recognitions
In 2015 India’s defence research agency, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), appointed her as project director for the Agni-IV missile.
The first-ever woman scientist to head a missile project in India, her appointment comes at a time when the country is feeling threatened by China's growing influence.
In an interview, she said 'China is a good neighbour but it has been dominating us for some decades now. They have shown their might in 1962 as well as 2008.' She sees this episode of history repeating itself in 2017: 'It is happening again now with Doklam...India should consider taking up some of these issues very seriously,' she says.
Dr Tessy Thomas was awarded the Padma Shri for her contributions to women's empowerment at an event in Delhi on the 4th of December 2017.
She is also a recipient of the ISRO Team Award 2017, NASA Group Achievement Award 2010-2011, National Technology Awards 2007-2008, and in 1993 she received The Young Women Achievers Award by Junior Chamber International (Jaycees) for exceptional contribution to India.
Her Leadership Quality
One of the most well-known leaders in the world, Dr Tessy Thomas is a renowned authority on Missile Technology and Women Empowerment. After working on missiles for more than 30 years, she became one of the few women to be given an honorary doctorate in engineering from MIT.
Her Impact
Dr Tessy Thomas has been contributing significantly to India’s missile development lifecycle for more than three decades by performing research and development at HQ Integrated Test Range (HQITR) in Chandipur, Orissa which is responsible for executing ballistic missile test flights and associated activities.'
In 1985, Tessy Thomas became a full-time member of the DRDO and later became the Head of the Missiles Division at the time. In 1988, she took over as Technical Director at HQITR and built a strong team to develop and manufacture ballistic missiles for the Indian Armed Forces.
In 1996, Tessy Thomas became the Controller for Ballistic Missile Flight Test Programs at DRDO which is responsible for managing all national missile programs.
Important lessons that we can learn from the life of Dr Tessy Thomas are:
Courage: She was not afraid to stand up and voice her opinion in an area of extreme conflict, she took the risk of standing up for her morals, ethics, and values even though this meant she could be ridiculed.
Determination: She was determined to do something about one of the biggest issues going on in India at that time, even despite being ignored by many people.
Reinforcement: She learned from mistakes that she made after trying a different approach to a project where it did not work. A failure can be as useful as success when learning new things. When trying a new idea or task again with different variables, improvements may happen without actually knowing why.
Patriotism & Loyalty: She was strong and loyal to her country, even though she was a woman. her passion for her country and fellow citizens gave her the strength to overcome all obstacles.
Knowledge: She didn't give up on finding a solution once she knew what would work and what wouldn't. Years of research led to many failures before she found success. She applied this knowledge that she gained from years of experience in solving a problem which ended up saving the lives of many people.
Focus: She focused on finding one solution for one problem rather than trying to solve all problems at once, which meant that she could concentrate her efforts over several years until she found a solution that worked.
Conclusion
Dr Tessy Thomas apart from being known as the missile woman of India is also known for her bravery, courage, patriotism, and loyalty in service to her country and her society in general.
FAQs
Who is Dr Tessy Thomas?
Dr Tessy Thomas is the missile woman of India who has made a name in the scientific industry
What are Dr Tessy Thomas’s achievements?
In 2015 India’s defence research agency, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), appointed her as project director for the Agni-IV missile.
What is Dr Tessy Thomas’s birthday?
Tessy Thomas was born in April 1963 in Alappuzha, Kerala, to a Syrian Christian family.