National Engineers' Day 2025: Meet India’s first female engineers who defied a male-dominated field

In the annals of India’s scientific and technological history, names like Ayyalasomayajula Lalitha, P.K. Thressia, and Leelamma George should shine as beacons of resilience, vision, and pioneering spirit.

Yet, for decades, their stories remained footnotes, overshadowed by societal norms that rarely celebrated women who dared to step into male-dominated domains. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, these three women challenged not just academic rigor but the very fabric of societal expectation, becoming India’s first female engineering graduates in 1944 from the prestigious College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG), Chennai.Behind their determination were fathers whose progressive outlooks dared to defy convention. Lalitha’s father, an electrical engineering professor, refused to let widowhood or societal limitations define his daughter’s future. Thressia’s father sent her across state lines when Kerala offered no avenues for women in engineering. Leelamma’s father, initially envisioning a medical career, adapted his approach when reality demanded flexibility.

These men, often the unsung pillars of their daughters’ ambitions, provided both opportunity and belief in a world that often refused to acknowledge women’s intellectual potential.

Forging a path in uncharted territory

The academic landscape of the 1940s was far from accommodating. Hostel facilities and basic amenities for female students were almost nonexistent. Lalitha, a local, remained with her family, while Thressia and Leelamma lived off-campus in modest hostels, navigating isolation alongside rigorous coursework.

An essay penned by Lalitha and Leelamma titled Eves in Engineering candidly highlighted these early challenges, advocating for recognition of women’s basic needs within the engineering domain.The war years added further strain. What was originally a four-year program was compressed into three-and-a-half years to meet the nation’s urgent need for engineers. Leelamma graduated with distinction in 1943, while Lalitha, completing additional practical training, undertook a one-year apprenticeship at the Jamalpur Railway Workshop.

Her career began at the Central Standards Organization of India (CSOI) in Shimla, where she navigated professional duties while raising her daughter, Syamala, with support from her extended family.

Achievements beyond borders

Lalitha’s professional trajectory defied expectation. From contributing to transmission line design at Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) in Calcutta to playing a pivotal role in the Bhakra Nangal Dam project, her work merged technical excellence with unwavering dedication.

International recognition followed: by the mid-1960s, she became a full member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), London, and represented India at the International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (WES), championing Indian women’s entry into global STEM dialogues.Yet, her life was not defined solely by professional accolades. Lalitha’s devotion to her daughter’s intellectual and personal growth reflected a rare blend of discipline and nurturance.

She fostered a love for science, sports, and music in Syamala, ensuring that her child thrived even amid the pressures of widowhood and a demanding career. Syamala, inspired by her mother, pursued degrees in science and education, and continued the family legacy of curiosity and intellectual pursuit, shaping a new generation of women in STEM.

Legacy beyond the lab

Lalitha, Thressia, and Leelamma embody more than pioneering achievements—they are symbols of the quiet revolution enacted by women who refused to accept limitations. Their lives reveal the intertwined roles of mentorship, familial support, and personal resolve in transforming societal expectations. While history may have muted their stories, their journeys continue to inspire, serving as a blueprint for resilience, ambition, and the power of belief.These women remind us that progress often emerges not from grand declarations, but from the steady, determined footsteps of those willing to walk paths where none existed, carrying with them the hopes of generations yet to come.