Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Bargarh Woman Becomes District’s First Female Commercial Pilot
Tanisha Agrawal always dreamed of flying airplanes.
She is from Bargarh district in Odisha.
Instead of choosing a more common career path, she decided to become a pilot.
She studied aviation in India and then went to California for flight training.
Her training lasted about one-and-a-half years.
During that time, she completed a solo flight.
She later received her Commercial Pilot Licence from India’s aviation regulator.
Tanisha has now joined IndiGo’s training programme and hopes to fly passenger planes soon.
Tanisha Agrawal has become the first woman from Odisha’s Bargarh district to obtain a Commercial Pilot Licence.
She pursued aviation after developing a dream of flying during her school years.
Tanisha completed theoretical training in India and commercial pilot training in California over about one-and-a-half years.
Her training included extensive flying sessions and a solo flight.
After receiving her licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, she secured a job with IndiGo and is training to fly Airbus aircraft.
- Who
- Tanisha Agrawal, a woman from Odisha’s Bargarh district.
- What
- She became the first woman from the district to obtain a Commercial Pilot Licence and secured a job with IndiGo.
- When
- After completing about one-and-a-half years of commercial pilot training; she is currently undergoing airline training.
- Where
- She completed theoretical training in India and commercial pilot training in California, United States.
- Why
- She pursued her long-held dream of flying and chose aviation as a career.
- Achievement
- First woman from Bargarh district to obtain a Commercial Pilot Licence
- Training duration
- About one-and-a-half years
- Training locations
- India and California, United States
- Major milestone
- Completed a solo flight
- Licence issuer
- Directorate General of Civil Aviation
- Employer
- IndiGo
- Current training
- Training to fly Airbus aircraft