Tessy Thomas

Dr. Tessy Thomas, also known as "Missile Woman of India" is the Key Scientist for Agni-V in Defence Research and Development Organisation, Hyderabad. She is the first woman scientist to head a missile project in India. Tessy was associate project director of the 3,000 km range Agni-III missile project. She was the project director for mission Agni IV which was successfully tested in 2011.

Tessy was appointed as the Project Director for 5,000 km range Agni-V in 2009 and is based at the Advanced Systems Laboratory in Hyderabad.

The missile was successfully tested on 19 April 2012. In 2011, She received Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award, India’s top science prize. The media loves to call her India’s Agniputri.