Tessy Thomas

SCIENTIST, DRDO BENGALURU, KARNATAKA

Continuing our journey southward along NH44 with Hyderabad in our rearview mirror, we crossed into Andhra Pradesh as we made our way towards Bengaluru. National Highway 44 happens to be the longest national highway in India at 4,112km. It connects Srinagar in the north all the way to the southernmost point, Kanyakumari. Although the next hero of our story, the ‘Missile Woman of India’, is a resident of Bengaluru, our rendezvous with her was to take place in her hometown – Alappuzha, Kerala. This meant more kilometres on the road, more picturesque landscapes and a tryst with ‘God’s Own Country’ and that was music to our ears. We chose to take the slightly longer route to Kerala via the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and then towards Ooty before ending the day in Kochi. The grandeur of Bandipur and the serenity of the hills around Ooty made every expletive-inducing pothole and encounters with errant drivers totally worthwhile. Places like these make it so hard not to stop and take in the sights. Of course, we had to resist that urge driving through Bandipur since it’s prohibited within the reserve, but along the climb to Ooty, we did, quite frequently. Still, with the primary purpose of our drive awaiting us in Kerala, we got moving reaching Kochi well past midnight. Alappuzha is about 50km from Kochi but with ongoing roadwork for pretty much the entirety of those 50km, the going was slow. We met up with Tessy Thomas in her ancestral home, a humble woman who has been letting her work do all the talking. Mere words can never do justice to Tessy Thomas’ work and contribution to the nation, and in fact, that of the other Drivers of Change featured on these pages. We were grateful for the opportunity and honoured to have been able to converse with them.

Thomas was born in Alappuzha, Kerala. She joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation in 1988 and was placed by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in the Agni missile programme. Tessy Thomas was the associate project director of the Agni III missile project. She was the project director for Agni IV and later, Tessy Thomas was appointed as the project director of the Agni V programme in 2009. In 2018, she became the Director General, Aeronautical Systems of DRDO. She is a recipient of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award and her pioneering work over the years has earned her the title of ‘Missile Woman of India’. She has been a critical driving force behind India’s selfreliance in the field of missile technology.

social activist Virali Modi whose petition had spurred the Indian Railways into action, advocating for increased accessibility for the disabled. Enduring harassment and indignity during her train travel, 25-year-old Virali Modi bravely spoke out against being treated as mere luggage due to her wheelchair-bound condition. Her outcry has gained traction.

After addressing a petition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu, and Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi, tangible changes began to materialize. Chennai Central became the pioneer station to introduce foldable wheelchairs fitting inside coaches. Similarly, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi stations implemented portable ramps alongside wheelchairs. Virali’s account of molestation at Mumbai Central has drawn attention to the gravity of the issue. With support from Twitter users like comedians Aditi Mittal and Tanmay Bhatt, her petition amassed over one lakh supporters, signalling a turning point. Virali emphasizes the government’s responsiveness, citing the initiation of the Accessible India Campaign in 2015 as evidence that disability is no longer a source of shame. Her proposals entail refurbishing existing trains to include spacious berths and passageways and larger wheelchairaccessible bathrooms.

Kochi to Mumbai is a distance of over 1,400km, which, by no means, is a small number, but in the context of this mammoth drive spanning over 10,000km, it was the home stretch. Playing a starring role throughout were the Mahindra XUV700s we drove. A vehicle that has won the hearts of consumers and critics alike as evidenced by sales figures and the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) 2022 title. Comfortable, capable and feature-rich, the XUV700 made the journey that much more enriching. Despite putting over 10,000km on the odo and the unforgiving nature of driving across India’s roads, the cars remained faultless. No squeaks, no rattles, no signs of wear, they felt as fresh as the day we first got into them for the flag-off in Mumbai on Republic Day. The sense of fulfilment accompanying the end of the journey was laced with a hint of disappointment because we would’ve loved to carry on driving through the country, exploring its diversity and uncovering more such stories. As we drove towards Mumbai to bring this drive to a close, our sense of accomplishment was dwarfed by the achievements of the Drivers of Change we had the honour of meeting. Their stories, the struggle, the determination, their passion left a lasting impression and these conversations were the kind we will cherish forever. These women embody Nari Shakti in every sense of the word and prove that ambition, determination and dedication can help anyone rise above every difficulty, and every hurdle, to succeed and they’ve set an example for the world to follow. They represent the strength of women and their journeys prove that no challenge is insurmountable. So, what’s your excuse?

COMFORTABLE, CAPABLE AND FEATURERICH, THE XUV700 MADE THE JOURNEY THAT MUCH MORE ENRICHING