'Missile Woman of India' to lead Agni V project

Bangalore: Tessy Thomas, who was made the project director of the 2,500 km Agni II missile last year has now been appointed as the project director of India's most ambitious missile, the 5000 km Agni V. the missile is slated to be tested for the first time next year.

Tessy is an expert on 'solid system propellants' which fuel the Agni missiles. She is a B.Tech from Thrissur Engineering College, Calicut and M.Tech from Pune-based Defence Institute of Advanced Technologies. Thomas has been associated with the Agni programme for around two years now. She is currently based at the Advanced Systems Laboratory.

Popularly called 'Missile Woman', Tessy was first assigned to the Agni programme in 1988 after she joined the Defense Research and Development Organization, by Missile Man and former President A P J Abdul Khalam. The missile will propel India towards having powerful ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) capabilities. The government has sanctioned Rs 2,500 crore for the project.