From Banking to Flying
The nine days of Navratri celebrate goddesses who embody strength in different forms; valour, compassion, creativity, austerity, devotion, justice, protection, forgiveness and wisdom. In our annual Navratri series, we celebrate the lives of nine women who strive to build happy and safe spaces for themselves and those around them.
Part - 5
Some women have fancy ambitions from a very young age, and they meticulously chase them, while a few just start with a very unplanned and stereo-typical career, but life ends up having something unique in store for them. They are destined to leave a legacy and one such name is Captain Saudamini Deshmukh who has made a significant mark in India’s aviation history. Saudamini began her professional life not as a pilot, but working with the Bank of India from 1973 to 1979. In 1980, she joined Indian Airlines which later merged to become part of what is today Air India or its successors, embarking on a flying career made her name popular among all Indian homes, especially women she silently kept inspiring through her major milestones. She became the first woman to command a Boeing 737 and later, in 1994, achieved the milestone of becoming the first Indian woman to lead an A320.
She has several feathers in her cap. Her first major milestone was in 1985, when she became the first woman check pilot on the Fokker 27 type aircraft in India. Soon in the same year, she also commanded India’s first all women crew flight on the Fokker F 27 between Kolkata and Silchar. Later in 1988 89, she made the country proud by becoming the first Indian woman captain to command a Boeing 737. In addition to this, later she also commanded an Airbus A320, again marking a first for women in India.
Her contribution to the aviation sector was not limited to being just a pilot but she also showed her excellence in some leadership roles. Saudamini also discharged her duties of Deputy General Manager, Operations in Indian Airlines, a managerial operational post, reflecting her rising stature.
Saudamini broke gender norms in an era when aviation, especially in India, was overwhelmingly male dominated, her command of aircraft and all-women crews sent a powerful message about gender equality in highly technical, high-stakes professions. Speaking to ‘The Perfect Voice’, Captain Ankita Dhanawade, 35, who is with Indigo Airlines said, “When I decided to become a pilot 20 years ago, I searched for women pilots in India in Google search bar. Capt Saudamini Deshmukh’s name was the first one to pop up on the search feed. We tend to follow the path that our family members show us. What about Women wanting to step out and create a new identity? Who do they look upto? I had Captain Saudamini Deshmukh.”
“Thanks to her trailblazing work and milestones I was convinced that my dream was achievable. Not just that, her journey also enlightened us on how we could chase our dream. If she could do it against all odds, I could at least try! In an age with no social media and relevant exposure, her work spoke louder than thunder and she paved the way for young women like me to fulfil a dream of becoming a pilot”, added Dhanawade.
After around thirty years of flying, Saudamini retired from active piloting in 2010, leaving behind a legacy that many Indian women take inspiration from to chase a dream that was once too rare and experimental for a woman to opt for.
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