Originally reported and written in September 2023, this story has been republished as part of our archival content. 

When society told them not to pick a career that was male-dominated, they went ahead and did just that. When society asked them to be quiet, they spoke louder about the things they believed in. And when the world asked them to stop, they just kept going.

In this piece, we explore the works and lives of women in India who enabled so many others to follow in their footsteps.

1. The wind beneath India’s wings

It is impossible to speak of India’s successes in the aviation field without recalling the heroic deeds of flight purser Neerja Bhanot. She died on 5 September, 1986, at the age of 22 while attempting to save passengers on the hijacked Pan Am Flight 73.

Four terrorists — Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki, Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain arRahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawar were behind the act. Bhanot displayed remarkable courage as she saved the lives of more than 350 passengers on board. For her gallantry, she was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra in 1987.

Another such hero in India’s aviation domain was Captain Durba Banerjee. As India’s first woman pilot, it suffices to say she took India to the skies through her work. When she joined Indian Airlines in 1956, it set the stage for women across India to shatter glass ceilings and step into leadership roles.

She turned a deaf ear to stereotypes that clouded her path as she persisted in her endeavours. Throughout her career, she accumulated an impressive flight time of over 9,000 hours.

While Neerja and Captain Banerjee made their mark in the skies, Mumbai-born Persis Khambatta made it in front of the camera. Her career........

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