Indian Women in Aviation 5.10.1998

Aviation in its infancy, was male oriented and only a few daring women ventured to wing their way across the skies Mrs. Urmila K. Parekh was the first Indian woman to obtain Pilot's License, in 1930. The photograph was published in the magazine "Indian Aviation" in July 1931 issue, as the first Hindu women to receive an air pilots license. After the country achieved independence, Indian women successfully competed for top professional careers in all fields, including aviation. In 1998 India released a stamp to celebrate woman in aviation, an important recognition for this ofttimes invisible force. Today, there is a storm of motivation brewing to do more to educate, train and recognize women in aviation.

When woman empowerment is the talk of the town, with the government launching campaigns like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and with all the efforts that India is putting in to bring women to the limelight, being a woman pilot does not seem like big news.

With popular names like Prem Mathur, who became the first Indian woman commercial pilot to fly a domestic airline in 1947.

In this connection I would like to mention the name of Miss Prem Mathur who was a neighbour and a family friend of ours. She was the first Indian woman commercial pilot and started flying for Deccan Airways. She obtained her commercial pilot's license in 1947. In 1949 she won the National Air Race.