Dr. Tessy Thomas

#78/100 in #100extraordinarywomen 

Known as the ‘missile woman’ of India, Dr. Tessy Thomas is a scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). She served as the Project Director for the Agni IV and V missiles, making her the first woman to lead missile teams in India. These are intercontinental ballistic missiles that have very high ranges and are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Dr. Thomas’ expertise on the solid propellent systems were critical in the development of the re-entry system of the missile, which helped it withstand great velocities and temperatures of 3000° Celsius on re-entering the atmosphere. 

Dr. Thomas was born in April 1963 in Alappuzha, Kerala, to a Syrian Christian family. She was named after Mother Teresa (Tessy being a derivative of Teresa or Tressia). There is conflicting information on whether her father was an IFS officer or a small-time businessman or an accountant. When Dr. Thomas was 13, her father suffered from a stroke which left his right side paralyzed. Her mother who was a teacher remained a home maker to look after the family in such dire condition. She grew up near Thumba Rocket Launching Station and says her fascination with rockets and missiles began then. She was stimulated even by the wonderment of aircraft flying. Dr. Thomas has four other sisters and one brother. She has mentioned in interviews about her parents ensuring their children received proper education and encouraging the six siblings to pursue careers of their own interest so that they can excel. Two of her siblings are engineers while another pursued a MBA. Dr. Thomas credited her home town and mother for her personal development. “I grew up with the pretty backwaters of Kerala as my backyard. I guess nature gives you strength and good thoughts. The power of nature cannot be undermined in one’s development.” Of her mother she has said, “It must have been tough for my mother — who was not allowed to work — to look after us on her own. Yet she made sure each of her five daughters and one son had a good education.... I’ve inherited her strong will for sure. I am equally persevering and determined like my mother.” 

Tessy Thomas studied in St. Michael's Higher Secondary School and St. Joseph's Girl's Higher Secondary School in Alleppey (Alappzuha). She had a natural flair for mathematics and physics. She scored one hundred percent in mathematics during her 11th and 12th years in school. In the same years she had also scored more than ninety five percent in science. She was among the top 10 rank-holders in engineering entrance examinations in Kerala. She took an education loan of Rs. 100 per month from State Bank of India to study engineering from Government Engineering College, Thrissur. She also received a scholarship that covered her tuition fees having been entered into the first ten students of the merit list during her admissions. The loan gave her the courage to live in a hostel while pursuing her B. Tech. In both school and college, Dr. Thomas was involved in extracurricular activities including political issues. She excelled in sports especially badminton bringing much recognition to her alma maters. She obtained her B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering from Calicut University in 1985 and M.E. in Guided Missiles from Institute of Armament Technology (now Defence Institute of Advanced Technology), Pune in 1986 and PhD in Missile Guidance from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad in 2014. She obtained MBA in Operations Management from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi, in 2007. 

The twist in her tale began when she secured an admission for her M.Tech in guidance missile at the Institute of Armament Technology, Pune, (under DRDO), which offered Rs.1200 as a monthly stipend. Abdul Kalam, who was chief at the time, spotter her for her work on gyro-less navigation, and suggested that she teach 50 odd scientists at DRDO. Dr. Thomas had joined IAT, Pune as a faculty member in Guided Missiles in the year 1986. She joined Inertial Navigation group as Scientist ‘B’ in 1988 at Hyderabad. She has been associated with Agni Programme right from its developmental flights. She has designed the guidance scheme for long range missile systems which is used in all Agni missiles. An energy management guidance scheme was designed and developed for the first time in the country for an all – solid propelled long range systems for which she was conferred with Agni Self Reliance Award in the year 2001. In her work spanning over three decades, Dr. Thomas has contributed much in guidance, trajectory simulation, and mission design. 

In her work spanning more than 32 years, she has contributed in various fields such as Guidance, Control, Inertial Navigation, Trajectory Simulation and Mission Design. She was leading a major project AGNI-4 as Project Director, for a state-of-art system with many new technologies for the first time and successfully flight tested and proven and was also Project Director (Mission) for the long range AGNI-5 system and successfully flight tested and proven. As Director, Advanced Systems Laboratory, DRDO, she held multi-dimensional roles and responsibilities and lead the development of strategic system. Presently, she is leading the Aeronautical Systems Cluster Laboratories as Director General. 

Dr. Tessy Thomas is the recipient of many prestigious awards including DRDO Agni Award for Excellence in Self-Reliance in 2001; DRDO Award for Path breaking Research/Outstanding Technology Development-2007; DRDO Scientist of the Year Award in 2008; DRDO Performance Excellence Award for Agni 4 in 2011; DRDO Performance Excellence Award for Agni 5 in 2012; Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration Academics and Management in 2012; Suman Sharma Award by The Institution of Engineers (India), National Design and Research Forum for Engineering Design in 2009; Smt. Chandaben Mohanbhai Patel Industrial Research Award for Women Scientists in 2009 by VASVIK; Maharana Udai Singh Award by Maharana Mewar Foundation Annual Awards for Contribution in the field of S&T in 2013; Madam Marie Curie Mahila Vijnana Puraskar in 2012; India Today Woman of the Year Award in 2009; CNN-IBN Indian of the Year Award in 2012; Shree Ratna Award by Kerala Kalakendram on International Women’s Day 2014, Outstanding Woman Award by National Commission for Women on International Women’s Day 2013; Vanita Ratnam Puraskaram – 2014 by Government of Kerala, Department of Social Justice, Dr. Y. Nayudamma Memorial Award for the Year 2014 for Outstanding Contributions in the field Missile Technology, “Bharat Ratna Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya Award-2016” towards outstanding contributions in the field of Engineering towards design, development and realization of indigenous missile systems by The Institution of Engineers (India), Telangana State Centre, Hyderabad, “Distinguished Woman Scientist Award” in 2016 for her contributions in the field of Missile Technology by Andhra Pradesh Science Congress, Andhra Pradesh Academy of Sciences. “Outstanding Woman Achiever” award in the field of Science and Technology by Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), India. 

She is a Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering (FNAE), Fellow of Telangana Academy of Sciences (FTAS), Fellow of Institution of Engineers India (FIE), Senior Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE), Life Member of Astronautical Society of India (ASI), Life Member of Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI), Life Member of Indian National Society for Aerospace & Related Mechanisms (INSARM), Life Member of Indian Society for Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (ISAMPE), and Life Member of Society for Aerospace Quality and Reliability (SAQR). 

But Dr. Tessy Thomas is so much more than all these accolades. As Mahindra Group Chairman, Anand Mahindra, has said that a poster of Tessy in every Indian school will wreck stereotypes and create enormous career aspirations for girls. In her own words, science has no gender. When one woman makes a path, it inspires many more women to come that way. 

Source: Google search and wikipedia.