Before The ‘Women In Combat’ Debate, She Was Already There

In this special concluding episode of the Women in Defence series, we speak with Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay (Retd), a true pioneer whose career reshaped the Indian Armed Forces. The first woman Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force, the first woman to complete the Defence Services Staff College course, and the first woman aviation medicine specialist in India, Air Marshal Bandopadhyay reflects on over four decades of service at the cutting edge of military medicine and leadership.

From treating casualties during India’s early wars with limited medical infrastructure to witnessing the transformation of military healthcare through technology, integration, and telemedicine, she offers a rare institutional memory of how the armed forces evolved from the 1960s onward. She also explains the critical role of aviation and aerospace medicine – from pilot safety to astronaut selection – and her involvement in extreme environment studies, including missions in polar conditions.

Beyond ranks and firsts, this conversation captures the human side of service: navigating motherhood in uniform, leadership in male-dominated institutions, and mentoring future generations. As she says, progress is built by those willing to make mistakes, learn, and keep moving forward.

This episode is an essential watch for anyone interested in national security, military medicine, and the real stories behind India’s uniformed leadership.