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Bhawana Kanth Makes History As First Woman Fighter Combat Leader in Indian Air Force
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Moneycontrol•13-10-2026, 12:35
Bhawana Kanth Makes History As First Woman Fighter Combat Leader in Indian Air Force
- •Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth became the first woman officer in the Indian Air Force to qualify as a Fighter Combat Leader after completing advanced training at TACDE in Gwalior.
- •She was among India's first three women fighter pilots inducted in 2016 alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, initially flying the MiG-21 Bison before transitioning to the Sukhoi-30MKI.
- •Her career milestones include completing her first solo fighter flight in 2018, receiving the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2020, and participating in the Republic Day parade in 2021.
- •Kanth encourages young women to embrace setbacks, advising them to fail forward, learn from mistakes, and never give up on their ambitions.
Key Questions Answered
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth became the first woman officer in the Indian Air Force to qualify as a Fighter Combat Leader after completing advanced training at TACDE in Gwalior.
Bhawana Kanth was commissioned alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh as India's first three women fighter pilots after the IAF opened its fighter stream to women in 2016.
Along with her advancement in combat leadership training, Bhawana Kanth has transitioned from flying the MiG-21 Bison to operating the Sukhoi-30MKI.
