Tessy Thomas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tessy Thomas
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| Director General (Aeronautical Systems), DRDO | |
| In office 1 June 2018 – 30 April 2023 |
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| Preceded by | CP Ramnarayan |
| Succeeded by | M Z Siddique |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1963 (age 62) Alappuzha, Kerala, India |
| Spouse | Saroj Kumar |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation | Scientist at DRDO |
| Known for | Agni Missile Project Director Agni-IV |
Tessy Thomas (born April 1963) is a famous Indian scientist. She was the Director General of Aeronautical Systems at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). She also led the Agni-IV missile project. Tessy Thomas is known as the "Missile Woman of India." She is the first woman scientist to lead a missile project in India.
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Early Life and Inspiration
Tessy Thomas was born in April 1963 in Alappuzha, Kerala, India. She was named after Mother Teresa.
She grew up near the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station. This is where her interest in rockets and missiles began. She was fascinated by aircraft flying in the sky.
Tessy has four sisters and one brother. Her parents made sure all their children got a good education. They encouraged them to follow their dreams. Two of her siblings became engineers.
Tessy credits her hometown and her mother for her success. She said that nature gave her strength. She also admired her mother's strong will and determination. Her mother made sure all her children were well-educated.
Education Journey
Tessy Thomas went to St. Michael's Higher Secondary School. Then she studied at St. Joseph's College for Women in Alappuzha. She was very good at mathematics and physics. She even scored perfect marks in math during her college years.
She studied engineering at Government Engineering College, Thrissur. She received a scholarship that helped pay for her studies. This support allowed her to live in a hostel and focus on her B.Tech degree.
In school and college, Tessy was active in many groups. She was also excellent in sports, especially badminton. She brought many awards to her schools.
She earned a M.Tech degree in Guided Missile from the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology in Pune. She also completed an MBA in Operations Management. Later, she earned a Ph.D. in guidance missile.
Career Highlights
Tessy Thomas joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in 1988. There, she worked on designing new ballistic missiles. She was chosen by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam for the Agni Project.
She was an important part of the 3,000 km range Agni-III missile project. In 2011, she led the Agni-IV mission, which was a great success. In 2009, Tessy Thomas became the project director for the 5,000 km range Agni-V. This missile was successfully tested in 2012.
On June 1, 2018, she became the Director-General of Aeronautical Systems at DRDO. She held this important position until April 30, 2023.
She is also a respected member of several important organizations. These include the Indian National Academy of Engineering.
Personal Life
Tessy Thomas is married to Saroj Kumar. He is a commander in the Indian Navy. They have one son named Tejas.
Awards and Recognition
Tessy Thomas has received many awards for her work.
- She won the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award. This was for helping India become self-reliant in missile technology.
- In 2018, she received the Dr Thomas Cangan Leadership Award.
- She was also honored with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award in 2022.
- In 2023, Tessy Thomas won the 'Woman pioneer of the year' award. This was at the ETPrime Women Leadership Awards in Mumbai.
See also
- Agni (missile)
- Agni-1
- Agni-2
- Agni-3
- Agni-4
- Agni-5
- DRDO
