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Tessy Thomas is an aerospace engineer at India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, often called the “Missile Woman of India”. She was the first woman to lead an Indian missile project, heading development of the long-range Agni-IV and Agni-V missiles.
Biography
Kerala
Tessy Thomas grew up near the rocket launching station at Thumba in Kerala, which sparked her interest in rockets. She studied engineering in Thrissur and guided missiles at the Institute of Armament Technology in Pune.
Agni programme
She joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation in 1988 and worked on the Agni missile programme under A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, specialising in guidance and control.
Leading Agni
She was project director for Agni-IV and later Agni-V, India’s longest-range ballistic missile, first tested successfully in 2012 — the first woman to lead a missile project in India.
Leadership
She later became Director General of Aeronautical Systems at DRDO and has been a role model for women in defence science.
Timeline
-
1988
Joins DRDO
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2011
Agni-IV test
-
2012
First Agni-V test
Did you know?
-
1
She grew up near India’s first rocket launch site.
-
2
She was the first woman to lead an Indian missile project.
-
3
She worked under A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Tessy Thomas?
Tessy Thomas is an aerospace engineer at India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, often called the “Missile Woman of India”. She was the first woman to lead an Indian missile project, heading development of the long-range Agni-IV and Agni-V missiles.
Where is Tessy Thomas from?
Tessy Thomas was born in Alappuzha, Kerala.
What is Tessy Thomas known for?
Tessy Thomas is best known for Project director of Agni-IV and Agni-V; first woman to head a missile project in India.
References
- Tessy Thomas — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Tessy Thomas — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Tessy Thomas (Q3521524) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Tessy Thomas”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 2 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Tessy Thomas.” TrackFame, last updated 3 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/tessy-thomas
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