She later joined the Pune-based Defence Institute of Advanced Technologies (DIAT) to get a masters degree in guided missile systems.

Thomas was initiated into the Agni project by India’s original “Missile Man”, former president APJ Abdul Kalam, when she joined DRDO in 1988 as one of the five woman scientists in the research organisation. “The post-graduation gave me some insight in guidance technology and the moment I joined DRDO, Dr Kalam put me in the guidance system of the Agni programme,” she recalled.

While the DRDO and the Armed Forces have known to be at loggerheads over development projects, Thomas shares a special bond with the services. Her husband, who also holds a masters degree in guided missile technology, is a Captain in the Indian Navy and is currently posted at Vizag.

Their only son, who has just completed his Class XII examinations, is named Tejas, a name he shares with India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). However, Thomas claimed that this was purely a coincidence. “We named our son before the aircraft was called the Tejas. My husband’s name is Saroj and we jumbled out first names together to name him,” she explained.

Women form close to 14 per cent of DRDO’s 7,000-strong scientist force and are involved in all projects ranging from missile systems, radars, aeronautics, naval systems and strategic systems. While the research organisation’s attrition rate is just over 6.3 per cent, officials say that the retention rate of women scientists is much better.