Shakti Sharma Becomes First Woman Non-Medical Air Vice Marshal

Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma became the first woman non-medical officer in the Indian Defence Services to reach the rank of Air Vice Marshal on September 1, 2026.

Commissioned into the IAF Education Branch on June 18, 1994, she has over three decades of service and previously served as the first woman principal of a Sainik School.

In her new role as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) at Air Headquarters, she will oversee education-related responsibilities across the Indian Air Force.