In a defining moment for India’s armed forces and the nation’s women, Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma has become the first woman non-medical officer across the Indian Defence Services to attain the two-star rank. On 1 September 2026, she assumed charge as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) at Air Headquarters, scripting a new chapter in the journey of Nari Shakti within the uniformed services.
Keywords: Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma, first woman non-medical AVM, Indian Air Force Nari Shakti, Assistant Chief of Air Staff Education, women in Indian Defence Forces
Commissioned into the Education Branch of the Indian Air Force on 18 June 1994, Sharma has spent more than three decades serving with quiet determination across training establishments, field stations, Command Headquarters and Air Headquarters. Her career is marked by institutional pioneering: she established the IAF Chairs of Excellence at IIT Kanpur and Pune University, forging vital links between academia and strategic defence needs. Earlier, she created history as the first woman officer from the Tri-Services to command a Sainik School, serving as Principal of Sainik School, Kapurthala, where she shaped young minds for leadership and national service.
This elevation is far more than a personal milestone. For decades, two-star ranks in non-medical streams remained beyond the reach of women officers. Sharma’s achievement dismantles that ceiling and sends a powerful message: competence, perseverance and excellence know no gender. Young women aspiring to don the uniform now see tangible proof that no rank is beyond their grasp and no frontier is closed to their ambition.
As she takes on her new responsibilities, Air Vice Marshal Sharma continues to embody the Indian Air Force motto, “Touch the Sky with Glory.” Her journey stands as a living inspiration, encouraging countless young women to pursue careers of purpose, leadership and service to the nation with unwavering pride and resolve.
contact: drrajeshjauhri@gmail.com
Dr Rajesh Jauhri is a Journalist with an experience of over 25 years in Indian and foreign media, a Social Scientist, an Ac-complished Author, a Political & Strategic Analyst, a Marksman (Rifle & Pistol), an Orator, a Thinker and an Educationist. He holds a Ph.D. degree on “Impact of colonial heritage on Indian police”. He runs an NGO dedicated to the social and eco-nomic uplift of tribal communities in MP and two decades back, he established a school in a village of Indore district, providing education and moral values to children belonging to underprivileged and minority families. Has received multiple awards in various fields.
