In a befitting response to the Pahalgam attack, when terrorists killed the tourists in cold blood, the Government sent a strong message to the world by carrying out Operation Sindoor in the intervening night of May6-7 destroying nine terror hubs in Pakistan. Hours later, India sent yet another strong message when it chose Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force to narrate the story of Operation Sindoor.
Colonel Sofiya Quershi is an officer from the Indian Army’s Corps of Signals. She has etched her name into military history with numerous ground-breaking accomplishments. In March 2016, then Lieutenant Colonel Qureshi made history by becoming the first woman officer to lead an Indian Army contingent in a multinational military exercise. The event, Exercise Force 18, remains the largest foreign military exercise ever hosted by India. Conducted in Pune, the war games brought together forces from 18 nations, including ASEAN countries and major global powers such as Japan, Russia, China, the United States, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia. “It was about skill, not gender. I was proud to lead,” she said.
Qureshi headed her team in critical training segments emphasising on Peacekeeping Operations (PKOs) and Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA). According to reports, she served as a military observer in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Congo in 2006 and has been actively involved in peacekeeping operations since 2010, a field in which she continues to make distinguished contributions.
On asking why she joined the Army, Qureshi said, “It’s the same charm that draws the men-the love for the country and the pride in the uniform.” Hailing from Vadodara in Gujarat, she comes from a family with a strong military background. Her grandfather served in the Indian Army, and her father also worked in the Army for a few years as a religious teacher. Growing up in this environment, Qureshi was closely exposed to Army life from an early age, which played a key role in shaping her interest in joining the armed forces.
Whereas, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh’s journey to the Air Force started with a dream when she was in school days as she wanted to fly. Her name ‘Vyomika’ suggests one who lives in the sky or the daughter of the sky. She went on to pursue her goal by joining National Cadet Corps (NCC) and earned a degree in engineering. Singh is a decorated helicopter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF). With a name that literally translates to “one who dwells in the sky,” Wing Commander Singh said her dream to fly began early. “I knew in Class 6 that I wanted to be a pilot. The sky fascinated me,” she shared. IAF officer Singh joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC) to follow her passion for flying. She later completed an engineering degree. On December 18, 2019, she received a permanent commission in the flying branch. She has accumulated over 2,500 flying hours on Chetak and Cheetah helicopters. She has worked in high-altitude areas like Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeast. One of her notable missions was in Arunachal Pradesh in November 2020. She led a rescue operation in difficult weather conditions. In 2021, she took part in a tri-services, all-women mountaineering expedition to Mt. Manirang.
Congress national Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate Tweeted on X
🇮🇳 Col. Sofiya Qureshi
🇮🇳 Wg. Cdr. Vyomika Singh
That’s my India!
Our enemies beware pic.twitter.com/umEH1dY9pJ
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) May 7, 2025
While Qureshi was cited as a distinguished woman officer for bringing laurels to the force by the Supreme Court in 2020, Singh won a legal battle in the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) in December 2019 to secure a permanent commission.
The two officers when took to the stage for briefing, India sent a strong message to the world, a befitting tribute to Nari shakti, that it’s not only the men on the borders, but women officers too are ready for any unforeseen situation when it comes to avenge their pride….the Sindoor.
