Tessy Thomas - Revision history

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← Older revision		Revision as of 16:33, 24 December 2022
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	{{Indian name\|Tessy\|Thomas}}		{{Indian name\|Tessy\|Thomas}}
	{{short description\|Indian scientist}}		{{short description\|Indian scientist}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=March ~~2022~~}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=March 2016}}
	{{Use Indian English\|date=March ~~2022~~}}		{{Use Indian English\|date=March 2015}}
	{{Infobox officeholder		{{Infobox officeholder
	\| name = Tessy Thomas		\| name = Tessy Thomas
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	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Tessy Thomas was born in April 1963 in [[Alappuzha district\|Alappuzha]], [[Kerala]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120422154720/http://www.malayaly.com/php/showProfileDisplay.php?linkid=0&id=128 Profile of Dr.Tessy Thomas]</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news\|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1120429/jsp/7days/story_15431535.jsp\|title=We watched breathlessly, praying for inner strength as the missile took off\|work=The Telegraph\|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref> She was named after [[Mother Teresa]] (Tessy being a derivative of Teresa or Tressia).<ref name=":1">{{Citation\|last=DD News\|title=Tejasvini: Interaction with Tessy Thomas, The Missile Women of India\|date=2016-10-09\|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l9tM3G2AGs\|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref> There is conflicting information on whether her father was an [[Indian Foreign Service\|IFS]] officer or a small-time businessman or an accountant.<ref>{{cite news \|last1=Aji \|first1=Sowmya \|title=India's Missile Woman: Tessy Thomas \|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/profile/story/20120507-tessy-thomas-drdo-hyderabad-758193-2012-04-28 \|work=India Today \|issue=7 May 2012 \|date=28 April 2012 \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|last1=Bagla \|first1=Pallava \|title=The 'missile woman' behind India's new ICBM \|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-17781281 \|work=BBC News \|date=20 April ~~2022~~}}</ref><ref name=":4"/> When Thomas was 13, her father suffered from a stroke which left his right side paralyzed. Her mother who was a teacher, remained a homemaker to look after the family in such dire condition.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Citation\|last=Atul Vidyalaya\|title=Atul Vidyalaya - Speech - Agni Putri - Dr.Tessy Thomas, Missile Woman of India - 2015\|date=2016-01-04\|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ7jsY2N-i8\|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref>		Tessy Thomas was born in April 1963 in [[Alappuzha district\|Alappuzha]], [[Kerala]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120422154720/http://www.malayaly.com/php/showProfileDisplay.php?linkid=0&id=128 Profile of Dr.Tessy Thomas]</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news\|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1120429/jsp/7days/story_15431535.jsp\|title=We watched breathlessly, praying for inner strength as the missile took off\|work=The Telegraph\|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref> She was named after [[Mother Teresa]] (Tessy being a derivative of Teresa or Tressia).<ref name=":1">{{Citation\|last=DD News\|title=Tejasvini: Interaction with Tessy Thomas, The Missile Women of India\|date=2016-10-09\|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l9tM3G2AGs\|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref> There is conflicting information on whether her father was an [[Indian Foreign Service\|IFS]] officer or a small-time businessman or an accountant.<ref>{{cite news \|last1=Aji \|first1=Sowmya \|title=India's Missile Woman: Tessy Thomas \|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/profile/story/20120507-tessy-thomas-drdo-hyderabad-758193-2012-04-28 \|work=India Today \|issue=7 May 2012 \|date=28 April 2012 \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|last1=Bagla \|first1=Pallava \|title=The 'missile woman' behind India's new ICBM \|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-17781281 \|work=BBC News \|date=20 April 2012}}</ref><ref name=":4"/> When Thomas was 13, her father suffered from a stroke which left his right side paralyzed. Her mother who was a teacher, remained a homemaker to look after the family in such dire condition.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Citation\|last=Atul Vidyalaya\|title=Atul Vidyalaya - Speech - Agni Putri - Dr.Tessy Thomas, Missile Woman of India - 2015\|date=2016-01-04\|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ7jsY2N-i8\|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref>

	She grew up near [[Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station]] and says her fascination with rockets and missiles began then. She was stimulated even by the wonderment of aircraft flying.<ref name=":3">{{cite news\|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17781281\|title=The 'missile woman' behind India's new ICBM\|last=Bagla\|first=Pallav\|work=BBC News \|date=20 April 2012 \|access-date=21 April ~~2022~~}}</ref><ref name=":1" />		She grew up near [[Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station]] and says her fascination with rockets and missiles began then. She was stimulated even by the wonderment of aircraft flying.<ref name=":3">{{cite news\|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17781281\|title=The 'missile woman' behind India's new ICBM\|last=Bagla\|first=Pallav\|work=BBC News \|date=20 April 2012 \|access-date=21 April 2012}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

	Thomas has four other sisters and one brother. She has mentioned in interviews about her parents ensuring their children received proper education and encouraging the six siblings to pursue careers of their own interest so that they can excel. Two of her siblings are engineers while another pursued an [[Master of Business Administration\|MBA]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Citation\|last=INDIA SCIENCE NEWS ISN\|title=Tessy Thomas.mp4\|date=2013-02-09\|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdvpvV13o9M\|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref>		Thomas has four other sisters and one brother. She has mentioned in interviews about her parents ensuring their children received proper education and encouraging the six siblings to pursue careers of their own interest so that they can excel. Two of her siblings are engineers while another pursued an [[Master of Business Administration\|MBA]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Citation\|last=INDIA SCIENCE NEWS ISN\|title=Tessy Thomas.mp4\|date=2013-02-09\|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdvpvV13o9M\|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref>
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	==Awards==		==Awards==
	Tessy Thomas received the [[Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award]] for her contribution for making [[India]] self-reliant in the field of [[Integrated Guided Missile Development Program\|missile technology]].<ref>{{cite news\|title=Scientist honoured for work on Agni missile tech\|url=http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/features/scientist-honoured-for-workagni-missile-tech_764008.html\|access-date=2 October ~~2022~~}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|title='Missile woman' Tessy Thomas conferred Shastri award\|url=http://www.firstpost.com/fwire/missile-woman-tessy-thomas-conferred-shastri-award-476024.html\|access-date=2 October 2012\|date=October 2, ~~2022~~}}</ref>		Tessy Thomas received the [[Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award]] for her contribution for making [[India]] self-reliant in the field of [[Integrated Guided Missile Development Program\|missile technology]].<ref>{{cite news\|title=Scientist honoured for work on Agni missile tech\|url=http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/features/scientist-honoured-for-workagni-missile-tech_764008.html\|access-date=2 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|title='Missile woman' Tessy Thomas conferred Shastri award\|url=http://www.firstpost.com/fwire/missile-woman-tessy-thomas-conferred-shastri-award-476024.html\|access-date=2 October 2012\|date=October 2, 2012}}</ref>

	She was also the recipient of the Dr Thomas Cangan Leadership Award at the [[Faculty of Management Studies – Institute of Rural Management, Jaipur (FMS-IRM)]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite web \|title=6th Thought Leadership Lecture Series at FMS-IRM \|url=https://www.iirm.ac.in/event/5 \|website=The Faculty of Management Studies, Institute of Rural Management \|access-date=24 February ~~2022~~}}</ref>		She was also the recipient of the Dr Thomas Cangan Leadership Award at the [[Faculty of Management Studies – Institute of Rural Management, Jaipur (FMS-IRM)]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite web \|title=6th Thought Leadership Lecture Series at FMS-IRM \|url=https://www.iirm.ac.in/event/5 \|website=The Faculty of Management Studies, Institute of Rural Management \|access-date=24 February 2020}}</ref>

	== Publications ==		== Publications ==

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{{short description|Indian scientist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Tessy Thomas
| image = Tessy thomas.png
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1963|4}}
| birth_place = [[Alappuzha]], [[Kerala]]
| education = B.Tech.[[Government Engineering College, Thrissur]], [[Defence Institute of Advanced Technology|M.Tech from Institute of Armament Technology, Pune]]
| occupation = [[Scientist]] at [[DRDO]]
| title = Scientist
| family =
| spouse = Saroj Kumar
| children = Tejas
| relatives =
| ethnicity =
| nationality = [[India]]n
| years_active= 1988 – present
| credits = [[Agni (missile)|Agni Missile]] Project Director [[Agni-IV]]
| award =
| website =
| salary =
}}

'''Tessy Thomas ''' (born April 1963) is an Indian scientist and Director General of Aeronautical Systems and the former Project Director for [[Agni-IV]] missile in [[Defence Research and Development Organisation]].<ref name="thbl">{{cite news |author=M Somasekhar |title=Tessy Thomas elevated as D-G Aero of DRDO |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/tessy-thomas-elevated-as-d-g-aero-of-drdo/article24022280.ece |work=The Hindu Business Line |date=29 May 2018 |language=en}}</ref> She is the first ever woman scientist to head a missile project in [[India]].

==Early life==
Tessy Thomas was born in April 1963 in [[Alappuzha]], [[Kerala]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120422154720/http://www.malayaly.com/php/showProfileDisplay.php?linkid=0&id=128 Profile of Dr.Tessy Thomas]</ref> to a Syrian Christian family.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1120429/jsp/7days/story_15431535.jsp|title=We watched breathlessly, praying for inner strength as the missile took off|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref> She was named after Mother Teresa (Tessy being a derivative of Teresa or Tressia).<ref name=":1">{{Citation|last=DD News|title=Tejasvini: Interaction with Tessy Thomas, The Missile Women of India|date=2016-10-09|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l9tM3G2AGs|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref> There is conflicting information on whether her father was an IFS officer or a small-time businessman or an accountant.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Aji |first1=Sowmya |title=India's Missile Woman: Tessy Thomas |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/profile/story/20120507-tessy-thomas-drdo-hyderabad-758193-2012-04-28 |work=India Today |issue=7 May 2012 |date=28 April 2012 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bagla |first1=Pallava |title=The 'missile woman' behind India's new ICBM |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-17781281 |work=BBC News |date=20 April 2012}}</ref><ref name=":4"/> When Thomas was 13 her father suffered from a stroke which left his right side paralyzed. Her mother who was a teacher remained a home maker to look after the family in such dire condition.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Citation|last=Atul Vidyalaya|title=Atul Vidyalaya - Speech - Agni Putri - Dr.Tessy Thomas, Missile Woman of India - 2015|date=2016-01-04|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ7jsY2N-i8|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref>

She grew up near Thumba Rocket Launching Station and says her fascination with rockets and missiles began then. She was stimulated even by the wonderment of aircraft flying.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17781281|title=The 'missile woman' behind India's new ICBM|last=Bagla|first=Pallav|publisher=[[BBC Online]]|access-date=21 April 2012}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

Thomas has four other sisters and one brother. She has mentioned in interviews about her parents ensuring their children received proper education and encouraging the six siblings to pursue careers of their own interest so that they can excel. Two of her siblings are engineers while another pursued a MBA.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Citation|last=INDIA SCIENCE NEWS ISN|title=Tessy Thomas.mp4|date=2013-02-09|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdvpvV13o9M|access-date=2018-01-20}}</ref>

Thomas credited her home town and mother for her personal development. “I grew up with the pretty backwaters of Kerala as my backyard. I guess nature gives you strength and good thoughts. The power of nature cannot be undermined in one’s development.” Of her mother she has said, “It must have been tough for my mother — who was not allowed to work — to look after us on her own. Yet she made sure each of her five daughters and one son had a good education.... I’ve inherited her strong will for sure. I am equally persevering and determined like my mother.”<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4"/>

== Education ==
Tessy Thomas studied in St. Michael's Higher Secondary School and St. Joseph's Girl's Higher Secondary School in Alleppey (Alappzuha). She had a natural flair for mathematics and physics. She scored one hundred percent in mathematics during her 11th and 12th years in school. In the same years she had also scored more than ninety five percent in science.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4"/><ref name=":2" />

She took an education loan of Rs. 100 per month from State Bank of India to study engineering from Government Engineering College, Thrissur. She also received a scholarship that covered her tuition fees having been entered into the first ten students of the merit list during her admissions. The loan gave her the courage to live in a hostel while pursuing her B. Tech.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite news|url=https://www.beaninspirer.com/tessy-thomas-first-indian-woman-scientist-head-missile-project-india/|title=Tessy Thomas – The First Indian Woman Scientist to Head a Missile Project in India|date=2016-12-22|work=Be An Inspirer|access-date=2018-01-20|language=en}}</ref>

In both school and college Thomas was involved in extracurricular activities including political issues. She excelled in sports especially badminton bringing much recognition to her alma maters.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news|url=http://www.indianfrontliners.com/article/24184-dr-tessy-thomas/35-frontline-articles|title=Dr. Tessy Thomas|access-date=2018-01-20|language=en}}</ref>

She also has an M.Tech in Guided Missile from the Institute of Armament Technology, Pune (now known as the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology).<ref name=":5" /> She also pursued MBA in Operations Management and Ph.D. in guidance missile under DRDO.<ref name=":4"/>

==Career==
Tessy Thomas joined DRDO in 1988,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/122711/missile-woman-agniputri-tessy-thomas-drdo-kerala-india/|title=In Love With Rocket Science: The Story of Tessy Thomas, India's Missile Woman|date=2017-11-30|work=The Better India|access-date=2018-01-20|language=en}}</ref> where she worked on the design and developments of the new generation ballistic missile, Agni. She was appointed by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam for the Agni Project.<ref name=":4"/>
In addition, Tessy was the associate project director of the 3,000 km range [[Agni-III]] missile project.<ref name="kerala">[http://www.stateofkerala.in/news/dr%20tessy%20thomas%20is%20first%20woman%20scientist%20to%20head%20missile%20project.php Smt. Tessy Thomas is first woman scientist to head missile project] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422005959/http://www.stateofkerala.in/news/dr%20tessy%20thomas%20is%20first%20woman%20scientist%20to%20head%20missile%20project.php |date=22 April 2012 }}.</ref> She was the project director for mission [[Agni-IV|Agni IV]] which was successfully tested in 2011.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120419134057/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-17/india/30409431_1_wheelers-island-agni-programme-agni-missiles 'Agni Putri' Tessy Thomas breaks glass ceiling]</ref> Later, Tessy was appointed as the project director of the 5,000 km range [[Agni-V]] in 2009, which was successfully tested on 19 April 2012. In 2018, she became the Director-General, Aeronautical Systems of DRDO.<ref name="thbl"/>

She is a fellow in various universities such as the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE), Institution of Engineers-India (IEI) and Tata Administrative Service (TAS).<ref name=":4" />

==Personal life==
She is married to Saroj Kumar, a commander in the Indian Navy and they have a son, Tejas.<ref name="IWSA">{{cite journal|date=September 2008|title=Meet India's "Missile Woman".|url=http://www.iwsa.net/BullJan09final.pdf|journal=IWSA Newsletter|volume=34|issue=3|access-date=19 April 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917090903/http://www.iwsa.net/BullJan09final.pdf|archive-date=17 September 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Awards==
Thomas received the [[Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award]] for her contribution for making [[India]] self-reliant in the field of [[Integrated Guided Missile Development Program|missile technology]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Scientist honoured for work on Agni missile tech|url=http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/features/scientist-honoured-for-workagni-missile-tech_764008.html|access-date=2 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='Missile woman' Tessy Thomas conferred Shastri award|url=http://www.firstpost.com/fwire/missile-woman-tessy-thomas-conferred-shastri-award-476024.html|access-date=2 October 2012|date=October 2, 2012}}</ref>

She was also the recipient of the Dr Thomas Cangan Leadership Award at the [[Faculty of Management Studies – Institute of Rural Management, Jaipur (FMS-IRM)]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=6th Thought Leadership Lecture Series at FMS-IRM |url=https://www.iirm.ac.in/event/5 |website=The Faculty of Management Studies, Institute of Rural Management |access-date=24 February 2020}}</ref>

== Publications ==
* {{Cite journal|last=Thomas|first=Tessy|date=2005-07-01|title=Guidance Scheme for Solid Propelled Vehicle during Atmospheric Phase|journal=Defence Science Journal|language=en|volume=55|issue=3|pages=253–264|doi=10.14429/dsj.55.1987|doi-access=free}}
* {{Cite journal|last1=Sudhakar|first1=R.|last2=Venkanna|first2=M.|last3=Rao|first3=B. V. Papa|last4=Thomas|first4=Tessy|date=2017|title=Prediction of Real Gas and Non-Equilibrium Effects in the Gas Dynamics of Canister Launch Missile|journal=30th International Symposium on Ballistics|doi=10.12783/ballistics2017/16878|isbn=978-1-60595-419-6}}
* {{Cite web|url=https://search.proquest.com/openview/b7b53e7a1b3952bc5b6e2f890a907c63/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2028808|title=Online Trajectory Reshaping for a Launch Vehicle to Minimize the Final Error Caused by Navigation and Guidance - ProQuest|website=search.proquest.com|language=en|access-date=2018-01-21}}
* {{Cite journal|last1=Ghogale|first1=Shrikant|last2=Venkanna|first2=M.|last3=Rao|first3=B. V. Papa|last4=Thomas|first4=Tessy|date=2017|title=Developmental Challenges during Realization of High Progressivity Rocket Motor|url=http://dpi-proceedings.com/index.php/ballistics30/article/view/16860|journal=30th International Symposium on Ballistics|doi=10.12783/ballistics2017/16860|isbn=978-1-60595-419-6}}

==See also==

*[[Agni (missile)]]
*[[Agni-I|Agni-1]]
*[[Agni-II|Agni-2]]
*[[Agni-III|Agni-3]]
*[[Agni IV|Agni-4]]
*[[Agni-V|Agni-5]]
*[[Defence Research and Development Organisation|DRDO]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVDDzOqXFw4 TV News Interview with Tessy Thomas]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Tessy}}
[[Category:Engineers from Kerala]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Defence Research and Development Organisation]]
[[Category:Indian aerospace engineers]]
[[Category:Indian Space Research Organisation people]]
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Alappuzha district]]
[[Category:Indian women engineers]]
[[Category:Government Engineering College, Thrissur alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women scientists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:Scientists from Kerala]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women scientists]]
[[Category:Women scientists from Kerala]]
[[Category:20th-century women engineers]]
[[Category:21st-century women engineers]]