Picture : @IAF_MCC/X
In a historic milestone for the Indian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma has become the first woman officer (non-medical) in the country’s armed forces to attain the rank of air vice marshal or equivalent, officials said . She assumed the appointment of assistant chief of the air staff (education) at the Air Headquarters on September 1, they said. The air officer previously held the rank of air commodore, an IAF official said.
Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma has shattered barriers, becoming the first non-medical woman officer in the Indian Defence Forces to attain the prestigious rank of Air Vice Marshal, marking a historic moment for women in military leadership.
A historic milestone for the Indian Air Force.
On 01 Sep 2026, Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma became the first woman officer (non-medical) in the Indian Defence Services to attain the rank of Air Vice Marshal (or equivalent). She assumed the appointment of Assistant Chief of… pic.twitter.com/9IulN6QjOb
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) September 1, 2026
“In a historic milestone for the Indian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma became the first woman officer (non-medical) in the Indian Defence Forces to attain the rank of Air Vice Marshal (or equivalent),” the defence ministry said. Commissioned into the Education Branch of the IAF on June 18, 1994, AVM Sharma brings a wealth of experience to her new role, spanning diverse postings across training establishments, field stations, command headquarters and the Air Headquarters, it said.
“Throughout her career, she has spearheaded key institutional initiatives, including establishing the IAF Chairs of Excellence at IIT Kanpur and Pune University to drive academic and strategic defence collaboration. She also created history as the first woman officer from the Tri-Services to command a Sainik School, serving as principal of Sainik School, Kapurthala,” the ministry said in a statement.
