Bhubaneswar: For Tanisha Agrawal, what began as a search for the right career after school eventually took her to the cockpit. The young woman from Odisha’s Baragada district has now created history by becoming the first woman from the district to obtain a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL).
Tanisha’s journey into aviation was not something she had planned from the outset. While exploring different career options after school, she came across commercial piloting and began researching the aviation industry. The more she learnt about the profession, the more convinced she became that flying was the career she wanted to pursue.
“The more I researched, the more I started liking this industry. Then I decided that I would pursue this after my 12th standard,” Tanisha said while speaking to a regional TV channel.
She completed her Class 12 education in 2021 and began her pilot training in 2022. After completing her initial theoretical papers in India, she travelled to California in the United States to undergo flying training.
Tanisha spent around one-and-a-half years in California, training to fly small aircraft and completing the required flying hours and other training requirements. She then returned to India and obtained her CPL from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
For the Baragada native, however, earning the licence is not the final destination. She is now preparing for the next major step in her aviation career — Airbus training with IndiGo.
The transition from the small aircraft used during her training to a large commercial aircraft will be a new challenge, she said.
“During our training, we used to fly small planes, and now my Airbus training with IndiGo is about to start. Transitioning from a small plane to a large one is a challenge in itself,” she said.
While the journey has taken determination and hard work, Tanisha said she was never alone in pursuing her dream. She credited her parents for being her biggest source of support throughout her training.
Her achievement has also become a matter of pride for her friends, relatives and peers. Tanisha said the happiness and appreciation she received from people around her made the achievement even more special for her family.
Beyond the personal milestone, Tanisha hopes her journey will encourage more young girls to consider careers that have traditionally been seen as male-dominated.
With her CPL in hand and Airbus training ahead, Tanisha is now looking towards a career in commercial aviation — while carrying with her the distinction of being the first woman from Baragada to earn a commercial pilot licence.
