The Economic Times

I didn't know women couldn't fly fighters: How Bhawana Kanth went from childhood dream to becoming IAFs first woman fighter pilot

Bhawana Kanth's journey from chasing aircraft as a child to becoming the first woman officer in the Indian Air Force to qualify as a Fighter Combat Leader reflects a decade of milestones in military aviation. From joining India's first batch of women fighter pilots in 2016 to completing advanced combat training at TACDE in 2026, Kanth spoke to CNBC-TV18 about the childhood dream, policy change and daily training that shaped her career.