Meet Sheena Rani, the woman scientist behind India’s Agni missile programme

When India tested Agni-5 missile with multiple warheads on March 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

“Proud of our DRDO scientists for Mission Divyastra, the first flight test of indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology,” the Prime Minister wrote on X.

Behind the extraordinary feat, which has catapulted the country into the exclusive club of a few countries – US, UK, Russia, France and China – which possess the technology, is a team of women scientists at the DRDO’s Advanced Systems Laboratory at Hyderabad, headed by none other than Sheena Rani.

“I am a proud member of the DRDO fraternity that helps protect India,” Rani said after the launch of the new weapons system equipped with the MIRV technology.

Born and brought up in Thiruvananthapuram, Rani’s fascination with rocketry and space began early when she saw the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) there launching various rockets into the space. After graduating from the College of Engineering in her hometown, Rani joined the VSSC and worked there for the next eight years before joining India’s missile programme, the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

Following in Kalam’s footsteps

She little knew she was following in the footsteps of her idol Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, India's 'Missile Man', who helped the country shape its missile development programme with many milestones. One such milestone was the test firing of Agni V, India’s first intercontinental ballistic missile, on April 19, 2012, with the entire world taking note of the country’s prowess in missile technology.

“There were butterflies in my stomach as we prepared for the launch. But I really did not anticipate the delirium, among the common public," Rani recalls, with animated exaltation. Rani, a trained electronics and communications engineer, is associated with launch control systems for the entire Agni series of missiles.

Carrying Agni Putri’s legacy forward

Before her, it was Tessy Thomas, also known as 'Agni Putri', India's legendary missile technologist who played a stellar role in the development of India’s Agni missile programme. The 57-year-old scientist, also known as the 'powerhouse of energy' among her colleagues, has carried forward her illustrious predecessor’s legacy.

A crowning glory

Apart from Thomas, another missile technologist who mentored and helped shape her career is Dr Avinash Chander. The man, credited with leading the DRDO through some rough years, calls the Agni-5-MIRV’s launch a ‘crowning glory’ for her. Chander remembers Rani as "always smiling, willing to innovate and her dedication to the Agni missile programme is spectacular, yesterday's launch was a crowning glory for her".

In fact, the women scientists in her team at the DRDO have shown immense dedication and perseverance all these years. No surprise then that the DRDO dedicated the International Women’s Day, celebrated in March, to them.