Avani Chaturvedi

Avani Chaturvedi
Personal details
Born (1993-10-27) 27 October 1993 (age 30)
Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India
SpouseFlt Lt Vineet Chikara
EducationBanasthali University, Rajasthan, India (B.Tech Computer Science)
OccupationFighter Pilot
Military service
Allegiance India
Branch/service Indian Air Force
Rank Squadron Leader
(L-R) Mohana Singh Jitarwal, Avani Chaturvedi and Bhawana Kanth

Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi (born 27 October 1993) is an Indian pilot from Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh. She was declared as the first female combat pilot in India along with two of her cohorts, Mohana Singh Jitarwal, and Bhawana Kanth.[1][2] The trio was inducted into the Indian Air Force fighter squadron in June 2016. They were formally commissioned by then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 18 June 2016, to serve the nation.[3]

It was in October 2015 that the Indian Government decided to open the fighter stream for women.[4]

Chaturvedi’s achievement has put India on the list of the countries, such as Britain, the United States, Israel, and Pakistan, where women are allowed to fly fighter jets.[5]

  1. ^ "Avani, Bhawana, Mohana become IAF's first women fighter pilots - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  2. ^ Krishnamoorthy, Suresh. "First batch of three female fighter pilots commissioned". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  3. ^ Gurung, Shaurya Karanbir (17 July 2019). "IAF pilots test F-21 simulator". The Economic Times. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Meet Avani Chaturvedi: First Indian woman to fly fighter jet - History created". The Economic Times. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  5. ^ Patley, Sanya (15 August 2023). "How Fighter Pilot Avani Chaturvedi Created History". Women's Web. Retrieved 6 September 2023.