Padma Bandopadhyay created history by becoming the first woman in the Indian Air Force to achieve the rank of Air Marshal, making her one of the country’s most influential women in defence services. She was also the second woman in the Indian Armed Forces to attain a three-star rank.
Born as Padmavathy Swaminathan in 1944, she joined the Indian Air Force in 1968 after graduating from the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune. Specialising in aviation medicine, she went on to build a distinguished military career spanning nearly four decades.
During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Padma Bandopadhyay served at the Halwara Air Force base alongside her husband, Wing Commander S. N. Bandopadhyay. The couple became the first IAF couple to receive the Vishisht Seva Medal at the same investiture ceremony for their service during the war.
Throughout her career, Padma Bandopadhyay achieved several pioneering milestones. She became the first woman officer to complete the Defence Services Staff College course, the first woman Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Society of India, and the first Indian woman to conduct scientific research at the North Pole.
She rose through the ranks to become Air Vice Marshal in 2002 and later Air Marshal in 2004 while serving as Director General Medical Services (Air) at Air Headquarters in New Delhi. Her contributions to military medicine and aviation research earned her several honours, including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, and the Padma Shri.
Padma Bandopadhyay continues to be celebrated as a trailblazer whose achievements opened doors for women in India’s armed forces and inspired generations of officers across the country.
