Well known in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as the woman who clocked in 12 hour work days, every day of the week, for 30 years straight, it’s safe to say, Thomas has left an impact in defence research, and how. The Indian scientist has majorly contributed in the development of Agni IV and Agni V, turning points in India’s missile programs, and continues to offer her excellence and experience at the organisation.

Thomas, throughout her childhood, lived alongside a rocket launch station, overlooking the beautiful waters of Kerala. It’s no surprise that she had a natural inclination to and subsequent curiosity about how “things worked in the sky”.

Let’s talk about some relatable content.

Mathematics- a matter of great concern and fear for most of us- used to interest her to no bounds. She obtained a whopping 100% in grades 11 and 12 for the subject, and was truly spoilt for choice when it came to deciding where she wanted to work. Did I say relatable? My bad. She almost even became a police officer, had given the exam for it, but then luckily (for us), stumbled upon a newspaper article with placements in the DRDO and just had to join. Talk about the right place and time!

“Every child makes a rocket out of a piece of spare paper”

– Tessy Thomas

So, let’s get down to the physics of what she actually achieved.

After having joined the DRDO in 1988, she was made a part of the Agni series of missiles right from its inception. She worked to develop the guidance scheme, control, inertial navigation and mission design for the long- range missile system, used in all Agni missiles. Seeing her passion and dedication, she was assigned as the director of mission for Agni IV and V, making her the first woman to lead missile teams in India. Both the missiles, successfully tested in 2011 and 2012 respectively, were significant developments for the country. Especially Agni V, which, despite being an inter-continental ballistic missile with a range of 5,500-5,800 kilometres, achieved single-digit accuracy in its second missile test. If and when installed, it would put India in the “super exclusive club of countries with ICBMs alongside Russia, China, US, France and UK”. Little mind blown? Same.

“science doesn’t have gender, we are all considered as scientists and our work speaks for itself”

– Tessy Thomas

Not only has Thomas been an idol for women that find themselves drawn to physics and maths but has also been a firm supporter of equality in opportunity. She had one brother and four other sisters growing up, making it hard for her family to make ends meet. Her father had a severe paralytic attack early in her life, burdening her mother with responsibilities. Both her parents were still determined to provide the best education for all their children, ensuring gender differences were kept aside. It’s no shocker that she learned quite early on that distinction is the only thing that deserves appreciation. She denies having faced any gender bias whatsoever in DRDO despite having joined at a time when the female presence in the organisation was limited to only 1%. She instead encourages women to study to bridge the gap between the demographics, believing only in the power of education.

She has since received many awards in, and out, of the world of missiles: ‘DRDO Scientist of the Year’, in 2008; ‘Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award’ for her help in making India “self-reliant in the field on missile technology” and ‘Outstanding Woman Achiever Award’ by Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) are a few amongst many. Anand Mahindra, the chairman of Mahindra Group also said, “Tessy deserved to be more famous than the biggest Bollywood star. A poster of Tessy in every Indian school will wreck stereotypes and create enormous career aspiration for girls” and we, at MilkshakeFromMars, couldn’t agree more!

“my journey has been of happiness, achievements and challenges”

– Tessy Thomas

So girls, when someone tries telling you you can’t do it, show them that you can. Teach them to strive for excellence; don’t settle for any less than what you deserve. It has been done, and it will be done, time and again because:

Women in Science? Shocker, we exist. 🙂

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References: 1; 2; 3; 4