New Delhi: Dr Tessy Thomas, one of India’s most celebrated aerospace engineers and a key architect of the nation’s strategic missile capabilities, was honoured with the Eighth Paulos Mar Gregorios Award at a ceremony held on Sunday at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi. The award recognized her exceptional contributions to women’s empowerment as well as her leadership in space and missile technology.
Dr Thomas has held several prominent positions in India’s defense and academic sectors, including serving as Director General (Aeronautical Systems) at the Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) and as Vice-Chancellor of the Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education. As the Project Director of the Agni-IV ballistic missile, she played a vital role in advancing India’s long-range missile systems and strengthening national security.
Accepting the award, Dr Thomas expressed gratitude to the many people who shaped her journey. She dedicated the honour to her family, colleagues, mentors, and “everyone who dreams of science and its endless horizons.” Recalling her childhood in Kerala, she spoke of watching aircraft streak across the sky, inspiring questions that sparked her fascination with aerospace: “My imagination wandered beyond the coconut trees… I wondered if I could bring the moon into my room.”
She also reflected on the guidance of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, under whom she worked during dozens of missiles launch missions. She described the former President’s late-night ideation sessions as moments that fueled her passion for innovation and teamwork.
Sunday’s ceremony also doubled as the opening event for the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Delhi Diocese, drawing an assembly of eminent religious and public figures. Among those present were the Catholicos Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, and Shymdas Balakrishna Menon, Vice-Chancellor of BML Munjal University.
Named in honour of Paulos Mar Gregorios renowned philosopher, theologian, and former President of the World Council of Churches the award commemorates his profound spiritual and intellectual legacy. According to organizer’s, the recognition is reserved for individuals whose life’s work reflects Gregorios’ commitment to human welfare and moral leadership, embodying “concerted action grounded in a deep concern for ordinary men and women.”